Hospital-Acquired Infections : Current Trends and Prevention

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) are the primary cause of preventable death and disability among hospitalized patients. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention monitors surgical site infections, centralline–associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonias. Evidence-based prevention strategies are critical to decreasing HAIs. Nurses can work as a key member of the collaborative team to establish performance measures, test and study the initiatives, and work to decrease HAIs