Yaşlılarda Sağlık Hizmeti İlişkili Enfeksiyonlar: Huzurevlerine Genel Bir Bakış

Abstract

Healthcare-Associated Infections in the Elderly: An Overview of Nursing Homes Although aging is a natural part of life, the risk of encountering infectious diseases increases with age due to immune senescence and the severity of infections becomes more severe. In addition, infections are sometimes difficult to diagnose because they are atypical and associated with high cost/morbidity/mortality. Infections seen in the elderly may be community-acquired infections, or they may develop as healthcare-associated infections due to the high rate of hospitalization. Healthcare-associated infections are common in vulnerable elderly populations living in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. Common healthcare-associated infections in nursing home residents include urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, skin and soft tissue infections. The risk of healthcare-associated infections is high in nursing homes due to over-prescription of antibiotics, lack of proper sterilization and hygiene management, malnutrition and weakened immunity. In addition, elderly people living in institutions and with multiple hospital admissions are at risk of healthcare-associated infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms, and treatment and management of these infections are difficult. Interventions and guidelines are needed to address the risks affecting the incidence of healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes in Turkey. Keywords: Healthcare-associated infection, long-term care facility, nursing home, elderly