The topic of my evidence-based project focuses on hospital-acquired infections, (HAI), and am focusing on patients on a long-term stay, like post-operative patients. I want to know how the infection is gotten, the most predominant cases, and what means it spreads. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are nosocomial acquired illnesses that are neither present nor incubating when a patient is admitted to a hospital. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and Clostridium difficile infections are among the infections that might occur. Productive cough, shortness of breath, stomach discomfort, rebound tenderness, changed mental status, palpitations, suprapubic pain, polyuria, dysuria, and costovertebral angle tenderness are all signs of infection (Monegro & Hariharan, 2019).
To address the problem, I intend to adopt an educational process on prevention, using hand sanitizer, hand washing, use of appropriate PPE, and placing appropriate isolation tags on patient’s door even when it is just been suspected. The risk of hospital-acquired illnesses is determined by the facility’s infection control policies, the patient’s immunological condition, and the community’s presence of various pathogens. Immunosuppression, advanced age, duration of hospital stays, various underlying comorbidities, frequent trips to healthcare institutions, mechanical ventilatory support, recent invasive surgeries, indwelling devices, and a stay in an intensive care unit are all risk factors for HAI ICU (Intensive Care Unit) (Monegro & Hariharan, 2019). Cleaning and disinfecting the environment is an important part of infection control programs because it ensures that rooms and equipment are safe for patients. While proper hand hygiene has gotten adequate attention, hospital cleaning has typically been relegated to the “too difficult basket” and under-resourced (Fernando et al., 2017).
Reference
Fernando, S. A., Gray, T. J., & Gottlieb, T. (2017). Healthcare-acquired infections: prevention strategies. Internal Medicine Journal, 47(12), 1341–1351. https://doi.org/10.1111/imj.13642
