What are 6 most common hospital-acquired infections? Common hospital-acquired infections include catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated pneumonia, Clostridium difficile infections, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. A hospital-acquired infection, or HAI, is absent at the time of your admission to a healthcare facility and develops during your stay at the facility. It may manifest within 48 to 72 hours of admission or a few days after surgery or discharge. Below, you’ll find more information about the common infections acquired in hospitals, including when to take legal action if suffering from HAIs in Las Vegas.
Causes of Hospital-Acquired Infections
Pathogens like bacteria, fungi, and viruses can cause hospital-acquired infections. These pathogens can be transmitted in medical facilities through contact with healthcare personnel or the surrounding environment. Patient factors like age, nutritional status, underlying health conditions, and duration of exposure to antibiotics can increase the vulnerability of patients to acquiring infections. Nevertheless, many factors that increase the risk of developing HAIs result from preventable human errors, such as:
Lack of Cleanliness
Patients can easily develop infections when hospitals aren’t as clean as required. Lack of cleanliness can take many forms, such as poor hygiene practices by medical professionals, unclean water supply, contaminated medical equipment, reuse of medical tools and instruments without proper disinfection, and bed contamination.
Incorrect Handling of Catheters and Ventilators
Improper use of catheters and ventilators can cause infections. For instance, a urinary tract infection can develop when a urinary catheter isn’t used properly.
Inadequate Staffing
Patients usually don’t receive the level of attention they need in understaffed hospitals. The neglect could worsen their health issues and allow hospital acquired infections to occur.
Congestion
Overcrowding, for example, due to beds being close to one another, could expose you to the infections of other patients. An overcrowded hospital could also have longer emergency room wait times, increasing your exposure to infections.
Most Common Hospital-Acquired Infections in Nevada
HAIs manifest in different forms. Here’s a closer look at the infections people commonly acquire at hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
Central-Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs)
Bloodstream infections from central lines are one of the most common types of hospital infections. These serious infections occur when pathogens enter your bloodstream through a central line. A central line, or central venous catheter, is a thin tube the doctor places in a patient’s large vein, usually in the neck, arms, chest, or groin, to administer fluids or medications. It is the primary cause of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections.
Bacteria and other germs can enter a patient’s central line if the line is placed improperly or used for too long, or if a medical professional fails to clean and sanitize the patient’s skin or use proper hygiene procedures and sterile protective gear. Symptoms of a CLABSI include fever and redness or soreness around the central line.
Candida auris (C. auris), a type of fungus that causes bloodstream infections and is more likely to affect patients with central lines and urinary catheters, has been on the rise in Nevada healthcare facilities. In April 2023, the CDC reported Nevada accounted for 16% of all C. auris cases in the country. The fungus has been found at 42 facilities, with one Las Vegas hospital having close to 500 cases.
Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs)
This is an infection involving any of the organs that are part of your urinary system (including the urethra, kidneys, ureters, and bladder) caused by germs that enter through a urinary catheter. A urinary catheter is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine. About 75% of UTIs acquired in hospitals are associated with urinary catheters.
Prolonged urinary catheter use is the most significant risk factor for CAUTIs. Contamination during insertion of the catheter, improper emptying techniques, and lack of regular cleaning are some ways through which CAUTIs can occur. CAUTI signs and symptoms include fever, chills, frequent urination or burning during urination, back pain, pain in the lower abdomen, and confusion.
Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
According to a CDC report published in January 2023, surgical site infections account for about 20% of all hospital-acquired infections. These infections develop in the body part where surgery occurred. They can manifest superficially, involving only the skin, or get deeper into the tissues and organs under the skin. Symptoms include fever, pain and redness in the surgical site, and a cloudy fluid discharge from the surgical wound.
SSIs could increase healing time. They could spread and cause other illnesses and complications like sepsis. In some cases, patients may need additional surgery to treat these infections.
Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP)
Ventilator associated pneumonia is a severe lung infection that develops in people on ventilators. A ventilator has a tube that’s placed in a patient’s nose, mouth, or through a hole in the patient’s neck to provide oxygen to help the patient breathe. Patients who are very ill, undergoing surgery, or have already undergone surgery may require a ventilator.
Although a ventilator can be a life-saving machine, it can allow germs to travel into your lungs easily. It requires proper administration, timely removal, and thorough sanitization and air cleaning to prevent infection. Ventilator-associated pneumonia is the most common HAI in intensive care. It accounts for nearly half of the antibiotics given in intensive care units.
Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDIs)
These are bacterial infections of the colon associated with prolonged use of antibiotics. CDC reports that there were 223,900 CDI cases in hospitalized patients nationwide in 2017. CDI easily spreads from one person to another. Healthcare workers can spread it from patient to patient. CDI can lead to complications like dehydration, kidney failure, toxic megacolon, and bowel perforation.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infections
MRSA is a hospital-acquired infection that’s resistant to certain antibiotics. As a result, treating it can be difficult. It spreads through direct contact with contaminated hands, primarily those of medical professionals, and infected wounds. People who carry MRSA without visible symptoms can also spread it to others. According to CDC estimates, there were 80,461 severe MRSA infections and 11,285 associated deaths in 2011.
MRSA can cause serious problems like bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, pneumonia, and death. Its symptoms include pain, tenderness, or redness at the infected site, skin rash, fever, chills, shortness of breath or cough, and general feeling of sickness.
Legal Implications and Medical Malpractice Claims in Las Vegas
Hospital-acquired infections can have severe medical, emotional, and financial consequences. They can delay recovery, increase the risk of complications, extend hospital stays, increase medical expenses, and result in missed work and lost wages.
Hospitals and healthcare workers owe a duty to their patients to provide a sanitary environment and take reasonable steps to prevent patients from contracting infections. When they fail to do so, they place patients at risk of developing infections. If you suffered an infection while in hospital or soon after discharge, you might have been a victim of medical malpractice. You may be eligible to file a medical malpractice claim against the responsible parties for compensation for your expenses and other damages suffered.
A medical malpractice claim requires you to prove that you suffered the infection because of the healthcare provider’s negligence. A medical malpractice lawyer will help you find out if you have a valid case that’s provable. After evaluating your case, a lawyer will guide you on the next steps to take. A medical malpractice lawyer will know what and where to look for potential negligence.
These types of cases usually require expert evidence. Your medical malpractice lawyer may contact a pathologist, microbiologist, or other healthcare professionals experienced in infectious diseases to give their expert opinion on the standard of care provided.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Hospital Based Infections?
You may wonder, “Who can you sue for a surgical error or any other form of negligence that leads to you contracting an HAI?” Hospitals are often held liable in medical malpractice cases involving HAIs. Nevertheless, you can also sue individual medical personnel, such as the attending physician, nurse, or any other healthcare professional. A medical malpractice attorney will help you pinpoint the party to hold responsible for your injury and losses.
Limitations on Filing a Medical Malpractice Case in Nevada
Following the changes to Nevada medical malpractice claims, the statute of limitations for filing a medical malpractice claim is two years from when you discovered or reasonably should’ve discovered your injury or three years from when a healthcare provider caused the injury, whichever date is earlier. This statute of limitations applies to injuries sustained on or after October 1, 2023. For injuries suffered from October 1, 2002, to October 1, 2023, you’ll have to bring your medical malpractice claim within the earlier of one year from the date you discovered or reasonably should have discovered your injury or three years from when the healthcare provider caused the injury.
