Assessing the Burden of Health Care Associated Infection in Correlation with Patient Characters and Length of Stay
Author(s): Sarala KS, Narendranath V and Nandakumar BS*
Abstract
Background: Health Care Associated Infections [HAI] are most common among patients who get admitted to any kind of health care setting. The percentage of Health Care Associated Infections is more in developing countries when compared to developed countries. Health Care Associated Infections commonly spreads through the medical devices, medical and para medical professionals. It has been shown that Severity of HAI depends on patient characteristics such as age, gender, underlying diseases, immune status, invasive devices used during procedures.
Methods: Retrospective data was collected for all the in-patients admitted to Ramaiah medical college hospital for the period of 2013 to 2015 (3 years). Data included factors like total number of in-patient’s age group, gender, average length of stay (ALS).
Results: Retrospective data collected for the period of 3 years from January 2013 to December 2015 for the inpatients who got admitted for more than 48 hours of duration, the data collected included the parameters for major category of health care associated infections like urinary tract infections, blood stream infection, ventilator associated pneumonia and surgical site infection. The data collected showed results of various age categories, gender under various age groups, mean age and standard deviation of average length of stay for all the patients with HAI.
Conclusion: Age plays an important role in determining the average length of stay. Analysis showed that more HAI were detected among the elderly and the children who are immune comprised due to underlying co-morbid conditions. Finding out the co-relations helps in identifying the age and the length of stay.