INFECTION PREVENTION
Surface Disinfection By the Numbers Facts and figures that highlight the need for proper surface disinfection products and protocols in the healthcare setting. The goal was a lofty one even before COVID hit. Included in its Healthy People 2020 initiative, the Office of
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announced one of the areas of focus was to prevent, reduce, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). HAIs are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions. Many HAIs are preventable. HHS has since updated its initiative to Healthy People 2030, to set data-driven national objectives to improve health and wellbeing over the next decade, with eliminating HAIs remaining a key priority. In order to reach that goal, healthcare providers have their work cut out for them. The following facts and figures illustrate the prevalence of HAIs and the need for proper protocols, products and medications to reduce and ultimately eliminate them.
1 out of 25 At any one time in the U.S., one out of every 25 hospitalized patients are affected by an HAI, according to information compiled in 2020 by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.1
1.7 million In U.S. hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.2
$28.4 billion HAIs in U.S. hospitals have direct medical costs of at least $28.4 billion each year, according to the CDC. Certain factors raise the risk of contracting HAIs, including invasive procedures, severity of illness, not adhering to best practices for prevention, and overuse or improper use of antibiotics.3
$12.4 billion HAIs also account for an additional $12.4 billion in costs to society from early deaths and lost productivity.
MRSA 49-65% In its HAI Reduction and Implementation Tool Kits, the CDC provided findings of current estimates that 12
February 2023
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