Impact of Health Care−Associated Infection in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Abstract

In the era of antibiotics, nosocomial infections are still uncontrollable and represent a problem with a problematic solution. The terms nosocomial and health care−associated infections are both used for disease, absent at the time of admission, acquired by patients under medical care in the hospital or other health care facilities. Recently, the term health care−associated infection (HAI) has been introduced for the type of infection caused by a prolonged hospital stay, and it accounts for a significant risk factor for severe health issues leading to death. HAIs can occur during health care delivery for other diseases and even after patient discharge. Invasive devices such as catheters and ventilators employed in modern health care are associated with these infections. Due to these infections, the costs and use of expensive antibiotics increased with extended hospitalization, resulting in elevated morbidity and mortality. Data coming from different parts of the world have shown that in North America and Europe, 5%–10% of all hospitalizations resulted in nosocomial infections, while Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia showed >40% hospitalizations with nosocomial infections.