Protection from Healthcare-Associated Infections in Intensive Care Units

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a major public health problem. HCAIs prolong the length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, increase antibiotic consumption and care costs. The emergence of HCAIs results from the complex interaction of pathogenic factors (virulence, antibiotic resistance), host factors (comorbidity, acute disease), treatment factors (invasive devices, antibiotic selection), healthcare processes (personnel, prevention methods), and even climatological conditions.. Although most of the pathogens involved are of endogenous origin, microorganisms can also be acquired during maintenance from human or environmental sources. This review summarizes the most recent evidence-based data available to prevent HCAI in intensive care