Page 93 - 2020 ARE eGuide for Clinical at Nonhospital Sites
P. 93
2020 Annual Required Education
Infection Control
Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI)
Sometimes, patients come to the
hospital with infections. More often,
patients do not have infections
when they come to the hospital, but
develop infections after being
treated or admitted.
An infection is generally considered
a healthcare-associated infection
(HAI) if it appears after contact with
the healthcare system.
In recent decades, the rate of HAI has increased. People coming to the hospital are sicker,
which puts them at greater risk for infection. Also, antibiotic-resistant pathogens have
become more common.
The costs of HAI are high - health, life, and money.
How do pathogens spread from person to person? The process is called the chain of
infection.
To prevent the spread of pathogens, we must break a link in the chain of infection. The
weakest link in the chain is the method of transmission. The most effective means of
preventing the spread of pathogens is hand hygiene.
