The Cost of Nosocomial Infections in Health Care Research has shown that there were 462 deaths in 2013 related to airplane crashes; there are 205 deaths a day in US hospitals related to nosocomial infections. This could amount to almost 75,000 deaths in a year. In this day and age of advanced technology and medical knowledge, this is a frightening statistic. Part of the problem can be contributed to the continued overuse of antibiotics; some infections, such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are the result of this. In facilities that rely heavily on antiseptics, aseptic techniques, and technology, nosocomial infections are an unacceptable occurrence and cost plaguing our health care system.
“According to the most recent …show more content…
Doctors working on cadavers, then live patients, unwashed hands, and no personal protective equipment. Medical knowledge was limited in those days, medical personnel unknowingly contributed to the advancement of diseases and deaths. Today, nosocomial infections are not necessarily the fault of the facility or staff, most can be attributed to patient’s visitors or the patient’s ignorance or indifference to their condition. This kind of data analysis on a preventable event, made the need for risk management to be developed. These infections target certain age groups, those with a compromised immune system, such as the elderly or the very young. The infections also target opportune openings, hospitals have multiple invasive procedures that allow for this opportunity. Procedures such as surgery, I.V.’s, catheterization (cardiac, or urinary), and treatments to patient’s with burns. Hospitals, to their credit, are practicing less …show more content…
However, neither concept is compatible with current risk management principles that include blame-free reporting, collective use of reported events for root-cause analysis, and continuous quality improvement. Accepting the idea of zero tolerance would mean weakening the impact of risk management programs, at a time when they are just starting to be more widely adopted.” (Carlet, Fabry, Amalberti, & Degos, 2009) With a collaborative effort on the parts of: health care personnel, insurance companies, training programs, and new technology, nosocomial infections could be the exception to the rule instead of the norm. Unfortunately, there will never be a zero risk of nosocomial infections in the health care setting for a couple of reasons. Educating the public about risks in health care interventions has become increasingly difficult. There can be several factors that can attribute to the risks of infections: patient condition, severity of disease, and length of
“According to the most recent …show more content…
Doctors working on cadavers, then live patients, unwashed hands, and no personal protective equipment. Medical knowledge was limited in those days, medical personnel unknowingly contributed to the advancement of diseases and deaths. Today, nosocomial infections are not necessarily the fault of the facility or staff, most can be attributed to patient’s visitors or the patient’s ignorance or indifference to their condition. This kind of data analysis on a preventable event, made the need for risk management to be developed. These infections target certain age groups, those with a compromised immune system, such as the elderly or the very young. The infections also target opportune openings, hospitals have multiple invasive procedures that allow for this opportunity. Procedures such as surgery, I.V.’s, catheterization (cardiac, or urinary), and treatments to patient’s with burns. Hospitals, to their credit, are practicing less …show more content…
However, neither concept is compatible with current risk management principles that include blame-free reporting, collective use of reported events for root-cause analysis, and continuous quality improvement. Accepting the idea of zero tolerance would mean weakening the impact of risk management programs, at a time when they are just starting to be more widely adopted.” (Carlet, Fabry, Amalberti, & Degos, 2009) With a collaborative effort on the parts of: health care personnel, insurance companies, training programs, and new technology, nosocomial infections could be the exception to the rule instead of the norm. Unfortunately, there will never be a zero risk of nosocomial infections in the health care setting for a couple of reasons. Educating the public about risks in health care interventions has become increasingly difficult. There can be several factors that can attribute to the risks of infections: patient condition, severity of disease, and length of