Problems of <i>Clostridium difficile</i> infection (CDI) in Polish healthcare units

Abstract

The issue of patient safety during the provision of health services poses a key challenge in health policy. The number of hospital-acquired infections (also known as HAI - Healthcare Associated Infection) determines the level of quality of health services provided in a given health facility. Effective management reinforced by the awareness of a team of medical professionals allows not only reduction in the hospital's finances, but also the frequency of adverse events, which undoubtedly include hospital-acquired infections. Good cooperation between departments and a Hospital Infection Control Committee is one of the key aspects that translates to the rapid identification of new epidemic outbreaks. Infections caused by strains of Clostridium difficile (CDI, Clostridium difficile infection) are one of the main factors responsible for the prolonged hospitalization of patients. In the United States, Clostridium difficile causes almost half a million infections annually, and its treatment costs are estimated at nearly $ 4.8 billion per year. In Poland, the number of CDI cases in 2018 was 11.592 (for comparison, in 2013 the number of infections caused by this bacterium was 4.728). Hospital environment, inappropriate antibiotic therapy and development of multi-drug resistant strains increase the risk of infections. In order to improve the safety of hospitalized patients, infection risk management should be a systemic, formalized activity integrated with the overall process of managing a health facility. It is necessary that central units have interest in creating effective tools to enable successful epidemiological supervision and the implementation of strategic assumptions of health policy in this area.