Hospital Infection Control Saves Both Lives and Money

Hospital acquired deaths kill about 100,000 patients annually in the USA.   Particularly bad are infections caused by multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria such as Staphyloccocus aureus,  Clostridium difficile, and Enterococci, and molds like Aspergillus and Candida.  Most of these hospital acquired infection deaths are preventable by such measures as frequent handwashing, better cleaning of rooms and equipment, better patient nutrition, less invasive surgery and use of antibiotic or silver coated catheters.  Family and friends of hospitalized patients should insist that all medical staff and visitors wash their hands before visiting.  Family and friends should also recommend that patients get adequate nutrition either through eating regular food or by tube feeding.

A multifaceted hospital infection control program can not only save lives, it can also save precious health care dollars.  A study in a large Dutch hospital calculated that a comprehensive infection control program involving handwashing, better cleaning of rooms, microbiological surveillance and other methods would cost about 277,400 Euros annually.  However, these interventions would prevent about 10 MRSA related deaths annually and save about 7,600,000 Euros per year in medical and disability costs. (A Euro is worth about $1.31 US)

This study examined the life and money saving effects of hospital infection control on only one disease causing bacteria-  MRSA. Had this study also examined other pathogens- the saving in money and lives would have been even greater.           

This research was published in the July 2010 issue of PloS ONE.  It is available for free at the website www.plosone.org.

Luke Curtis has written an article in the July 2008 Journal of Hospital Infection which lists 48 ways to control hospital acquired infections.  For a free copy of this paper- please contact me at LukeTCurtis@aol.com.