Health Acquired Infections (HAC)

Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are an undesirable situation or condition that affects the patient and the care they receive. The condition was not present on admission (POA), it developed while the patient was in the hospital. HACs lead to increase length of stay (LOS), increase in patient care cost, poor patient outcomes, and even death. It is estimated that in 2010 adult patients experienced roughly 4.8 million HACs out of 32.8 million hospital discharges. There are eight initial conditions of HACs. Health Acquired Infections (HAI), are one example of a HAC. HAIs make up the largest percentage of the HAC score hence, the focus on the impact of healthcare quality and safety outcome for two indicator conditions: catheter associated
Health care associated infections (HAIs) are some of the most common and serious complications patients’ encountered while in the hospital. HAI are also among the leading threats to patient safety. According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2005), “at any given time, approximately 1 of every 25 hospitalized patients in the United States has an HAI, meaning that nearly 650,000 patients contract one of these infections annually” (p 1013). These infections can lead to significant cost, increased length of stay (LOS), morbidity and mortality. HAIs, which have been identified as a serious public health problem in the United States and globally (Kurtzman & Corrigan, 2007). HAIs account for approximately three quarters of acute care hospital, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), are the most common, costliest, and deadliest of all
It has been estimated that CLABSIs have a 12 to 25 percent mortality rate (CDC, 2011). Patients who are in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), account for a significant number of CLABSIs. However, the number continues to increase for those patients in non-ICU. It has been estimated that 80,000 thousand CLABSI’s occur in ICU patient, but when you are considering the patients not in the ICU that number increases to over 250,000 CLABSI’s annually. CLABSI are associated with bad outcomes such as increased LOS, cost and even death. The LOS has an average increase of 7 days, estimated with an estimated 30,000 patients dying annually due to CLABSIs (CDC, 2011). There has been a reduction in ICU CLABSI’s from 43,000 in 2001 to 18,000 in 2009, which, is a 58% reduction. The CDC estimates that this reduction represents 3,000 to 6,000 lives saved in ICUs in 2009 alone (2011). HAC and HAI reduction can be attributed to research, reporting, sharing data, and fostering a safety environment with a zero tolerance for preventable events. In addition, implementing evidence-based practices, behavioral, systematic, and structural changes to ensure no patient is harmed while seeking medical