Hospital-related infections kill or injure thousands of people every year. These infections are a result of medical malpractice, improper cleaning or having inpatient or outpatient surgical procedures. Often it is your healthcare team or the facility’s practices that are to blame.
These infections can slow your recovery, create complications and sometimes cause lasting permanent damage.
What are common hospital-related infections?
Although there are many forms of bacterial and viral infections that are traditionally hospital-related, a few are more common than others. These are:
- Central line-associated bloodstream infections from having bacteria enter your bloodstream
- Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus or MRSA infection from bacteria
- Pneumonia from improper procedures
- Surgical site infections
Each of these can result in severe symptoms or death.
How do you get them?
Although some hospital-related infections are a risk of being in a care facility, some are due to substandard sterilization procedures, improper surgical techniques and pure negligence. You can get them from a doctor, nurse or aid that doesn’t properly wash their hands or when a piece of sterilization equipment isn’t working properly.
Who is at risk?
Unfortunately, everyone who goes to a hospital, acute care facility, or has surgery is at risk. These infections crop up and run rampant through settings with closed conditions. All of them are easily transmissible, and anyone can get them. Some populations are at a higher risk than others, such as those that are immunocompromised, very young or very old.
Hospital-related infections are infections that you get in a hospital or surgical setting. They can be extremely dangerous and are often the result of improper medical care.