MONAHRQ Demo - Infections acquired in the hospital

This information is for reference purposes only. It was current when produced and may now be outdated. Archive material is no longer maintained, and some links may not work. Persons with disabilities having difficulty accessing this information should contact us at: https://info.ahrq.gov. Let us know the nature of the problem, the Web address of what you want, and your contact information.

Please go to www.ahrq.gov for current information.

Infections acquired in the hospital. Every day, patients get infections in healthcare facilities while they are being treated for something else. Healthcare procedures can leave you exposed to germs that cause healthcare acquired infections. These germs can be spread from patient to patient on unclean hands of healthcare workers or through unclean equipment. Healthcare acquired infections can have devastating emotional, financial, and medical effects, and can even be deadly. Hospitals have policies in place to reduce the changes of patients getting infections. These include making sure staff wash their hands, and giving flu shots to patients who need them. On any given day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one infection they got from receiving treatment.1 There were an estimated 722,000 healthcare acquired infections in U.S hospitals in 2011. About 75,000 patients with such infections died while in the hospital.1 (1 HAI Data and Statistics.) Select to Compare Hospitals for this Topic. Comparing hospitals can help you spot potentially problematic safety concerns for hospitals you're considering.

Tips / Checklist: If you have a catheter in your bladder, ask each day if it is necessary. Ask your doctor how he/she prevents infections where the cut for your surgery will be made. Also ask how you can prepare for surgery to reduce your risk of getting an infection. Be sure everyone cleans their hands before touching you. Select to Compare Hospitals for this Topic. Comparing hospitals can help you make better health care decisions for you and your loved ones.

WHY SHOULD YOU COMPARE? All hospitals are not the same. Some are better overall, some are not so good. Some do well in some areas of care but not in others. Comparing hospitals helps: Spot potentially problematic safety concerns for hospitals you're considering. Make better health care decisions for you and your loved ones. Show you how hospitals you're considering perform in critical safety areas. Talking with your doctor shows you want to be a partner in your care. It also helps remind your care team to take certain actions to keep you as safe as possible. Select to Compare Hospitals for this Topic. Find hospitals that perform best in the areas you care about.

The information on this page is archived and provided for reference purposes only.