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Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that develop during, or soon after, a person has been in a healthcare setting. These infections are widely recognized as a serious problem. Many are preventable.
HAIs can occur in all settings of care including hospitals, doctor's offices, same-day surgical centers, ambulatory outpatient care in healthcare clinics, and in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities, and can also result from home-care visits by a health professional.
HAIs happen when infectious agents, such as bacteria, enter a patient's body. The infections are often associated with the use of medical devices such as catheters and ventilators, surgical procedures, transmission between patients and healthcare workers, and overuse of antibiotics. Healthcare-associated infections are a significant cause of illness and deaths in hospitals.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 5 percent of all hospital admissions result in a healthcare-associated infection, culminating in approximately 722,000 infections and 75,000 deaths each year as well as $28–33 billion in excess costs. A recent publication estimated that HAIs in North Carolina cost $124-$348 million each year in direct expenditures.
The prevention of healthcare-associated infections is a public health priority in North Carolina and is a collaborative effort among the healthcare and public health communities. The North Carolina Healthcare-Associated Infections Prevention program collaborates closely with partners to decrease the burden of HAIs in North Carolina. Visit the HAI Facts & Figures page to access quarterly reports for healthcare consumers and providers about HAIs in North Carolina.
Common types of HAIs include:
A new type of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is increasingly being seen in the United States: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or "CRE," which requires stringent infection-control measures.
Outbreaks of norovirus, hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also occur in healthcare settings. Bloodborne illnesses such as hepatitis and HIV can be spread through unsafe injection practices and the re-use of blood testing devices such as blood glucose meters. Read about Injection Safety.
- Patient-friendly quick reference about appropriate antibiotics use. - North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has joined the Safe Injection Practices Coalition (SIPC) One and Only Campaign to raise awareness among patients and healthcare providers about safe injection practices.
