Healthcare infection prevention and control really is everyone’s business
Lyn Gilbert A , Jon Iredell B and John Merlino CA Marie Bashir Institute for Emerging Infections and Biosecurity
Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine
University of Sydney
and Level 3, Institute of Clinical Pathology & Medical Research, Westmead Hospital
PO Box 533, Wentworthville
NSW 2145, Australia. Tel: +61 2 9845 6252
Email: lyn.gilbert@sydney.edu.au
B Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research
C24 – Westmead Hospital
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006, Australia. Tel: +61 2 9845 6255
Email: jonathan.iredell@sydney.edu.au
C Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
Concord Hospital
and Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Sydney Medical School
University of Sydney
Hospital Road, Concord, NSW 2139
Australia. Tel: +61 2 9767 6658
Email: JMerlino@med.usyd.edu.au
Microbiology Australia 35(1) 3-4 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA14002
Published: 26 February 2014
Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are more important than most people realise. They are estimated to affect 7–10% of all patients admitted to hospital and are among the top five causes of death worldwide, including in countries like Australia with sophisticated (and expensive) healthcare systems. In Australia it is estimated that 200,000 HAIs occur each year; they affect 5–10% of hospital patients, contribute to 7,000 deaths and are responsible for A$2–3 billion in excess health costs. In the USA they cause an estimated 99,000 deaths and cost the health system US$10–25 billion. These, and other estimates of the burden of HAIs anywhere in the world, are imprecise and almost certainly lower than the true values, because surveillance and reporting of HAIs is limited and highly variable. What is most shocking about these statistics is that at least 50% of these infections (probably more) are judged to be preventable by measures that are simple, inexpensive and have been shown to be effective.
