- Healthcare-Acquired Infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital-acquired infections contribute to nearly 2 million infections and 100,000 deaths each year and approximately one out of every 20 hospitalized patients will contract an HAI.

These infections, often caused by improperly cleansed medical tools and instruments and unwashed hands during the course of patient care, can be preventable.

Adopting safer processes for delivering health care and reducing infection rates can save lives and lower costs. As a result, facilities and providers throughout the state are focusing increased attention on improving safety for every patient. IFMC-IL is an ally in this effort. Health care providers and stakeholders are encouraged to join our quality improvement initiatives that target hospital-acquired infections. Through patient safety education and initiatives, Telligen is working to reduce these preventable infections and the $45 billion in annual costs related to the treatment of HAIs by 20 percent.

Common HAIs include:

• Central line-associated bloodstream infection
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections
• Clostridum difficile infections
• Surgical site infections