Can Hospital-Acquired Infections be Stopped?
By Paul L. Simmons Nosocomial-related deaths, whereby 90,000 die each year, are up 33 percent in 10 years. Where and when will it end? The cost in dollars to the healthcare industry is $5.5 billion, a major factor in rising healthcare costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that 50 percent of infections can be eliminated by better procedures; however, since the numbers are rising, either there is no effort to change those procedures or the numbers of admissions has increased by more than 33 percent and the percentage of nosocomial infections per 100 admissions has been lowered. The healthcare industry has no one source of information to turn to. The CDC has some very good information but falls short of addressing or proposing a comprehensive program to deal with nosocomial infections. Various other sources of information address specific problem areas, but the total program is yet to come. The solution to the problem will start with the hospital engineer. F
