HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS AND ASSOCIATED PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN SMALL ANIMAL CLINICS

Bolničke ili nozokomijalne infekcije podrazumijevaju sve one infekcije do kojih dolazi tijekom hospitalizacije odnosno obrade pacijenata. Rezultati dosadašnjih istraživanja upućuju na činjenicu da napredovanjem veterinarske medicine dolazi do povećanja rizika od nastanka bolničkih infekcija koje se povezuju s produljenjem hospitalizacije, sve češćom primjenom invazivnih postupaka i uređaja. Gubitci koji nastaju kao posljedica ovakvih infekcija mogu biti primarni (oboljenja i uginuća) ili sekundarni (povećani troškovi liječenja). Bolničke infekcije dovode i do gubitka povjerenja vlasnika u veterinarsko osoblje što opet može negativno utjecati na veterinarsku praksu u smislu ekonomskog rizika i ugleda osoblja. Podaci o bolničkim infekcijama u veterini za sada su dosta ograničeni što je veliki problem jer se pojavljuju gotovo jednako često kao i u humanoj medicini, ali se istovremeno puno manje istražuju. Pritom, sustav praćenja i kontrole bolničkih infekcija postoji samo u rijetkim veterinarskim organizacijama.Hospital-acquired infections, or nosocomial infections, include any infection that occurs while a patient is hospitalized or receiving treatment. Research to date indicates that with advances in veterinary medicine, the risk of nosocomial infections is increasing, associated with longer hospital stays and the increasingly frequent use of invasive procedures and equipment. Losses resulting from such infections may be primary (illnesses and deaths) or secondary (increased treatment costs). Nosocomial infections also result in a loss of owner confidence in veterinary staff, which in turn can negatively impact the veterinary practice in terms of economic risk and staff reputation. Data on hospital-acquired infections in veterinary medicine are currently quite limited, which is a major problem because they occur almost as frequently as in human medicine, but at the same time are much less researched. In addition, only few veterinary organizations have a infection control programs in place to monitor and control hospitalacquired infections