Over 6% of hospital patients in England acquire some form of infection during their stay, according to a report by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). These are known as a Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI). Now I thought 6% (well actually 6.4%) sounded pretty low, until you start turning that percentage into actual figures. Out of every 100 people who go into hospital, nearly 16 of them will get a HCAI and with the NHS dealing with over 1 million patients every 36 hours you can see how it adds up.
It is estimated that as many as 5,000 patients die every year in the UK as a direct result of a HCAI, and it is one of the factors in a further 15,000 deaths. On average, patients with a HCAI have been found to be approximately 7 times more likely to die in hospital than uninfected patients.
HCAI’s were previously called Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) or ‘nosocomial infection’, however the current term reflects the fact that a great deal of healthcare is now performed outside the hospital setting. And it’s not just patients that are at risk of contracting a HCAI but also healthcare workers (bear in mind the NHS employs more than 1.7m people - did you know only the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the Wal-Mart supermarket chain and the Indian Railways directly employ more people?).
HCAI’s can affect any part of the body, they are caused by viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens; the most common types affect the urinary system (urinary tract infection), the lungs (puenmonia or respiratory tract infection), the skin, surgical wounds (surgical site infection), the digestive (gastrointestinal) system and even the bloodstream (bacteraemia).
Some of the most common ones we hear about in the news are MRSA and C. difficile, however the report indicates that there have been large reductions in both since the last survey was conducted in 2006. C. difficile infections fell from 2% to 0.4% and MRSA fell even more sharply, from 1.8% of patients to less than 0.1%.
However while MRSA and C. difficile infections appear to have fallen over the last five years, new types of infections have emerged. A class of organisms called enterobacteriaceae (also known as coliforms) were the most frequently reported HCAI. Enterobacteriaceae include bacteria that are normally found in the human intestine, such as E. coli and salmonella, although there are also newly identified strains.
So who’s getting infected? Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) (23.4% of patients) and on surgical wards (8% of patients) had the highest number of occurrences. This is partly due to the types of procedures conducted in these settings, which are generally associated with an increased risk of infection. And they were most common in patients under the age of two (8.2% among patients between one and 23 months old) and in the elderly (7.4% of patients between 65 and 79 years old and over 80 years old it was 6.5%).
Personally, I’m a big believer in the NHS, for many reasons, and I’m not the only one. In 2010 the Commonwealth Fund declared that in comparison with the healthcare systems of six other countries (Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and USA) the NHS was the second most impressive overall. The NHS was rated as the best system in terms of efficiency, effective care and cost-related problems (bet that went down well with the Germans!). It was also ranked second for patient equality and safety. But with so many people being affected by HCAI’s and the burden it puts on the NHS (it’s estimated they cost around £1 billion a year and have a major impact on the number of beds available as infected patients spent, on average, an additional 11 days in hospitals), it’s clear something needs to be done.
The HPA reports that good hygiene, appropriate use of antibiotics and improved clinical techniques can reduce the risk of HCAIs.
5 simple measures to prevent infection or transmission
• hand-washing, either with soap and water or alcohol hand gel in some cases
• use of protective gear, such as disposable gloves and aprons
• regular cleaning to prevent the build-up of organisms
• isolating patients with antibiotic or antimicrobial-resistant infections, in order to prevent the spread of such organisms
• appropriate use of antibiotics: appropriate use includes using the right type of antibiotic at the right dose and only using them when judged medically necessary
A diagnosis of an HCAI does not necessarily mean you have suffered negligent treatment; however an outbreak of a particular infection at one hospital may indicate they are not following infection control policies.
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If you feel you have suffered a Healthcare Acquired Infection from the result of negligence, or are unsure and would like to talk your situation through, then get in contact. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
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