Hospital acquired Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Angelina County, Texas

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections patients are prone to while receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility and can be defined as ‘healthcare-associated’ if they develop 48 hours after admission, receiving medical care or within 30 days of having a surgical procedure. HAIs occur in all settings of care and across the continuum of care, including hospital acute care units, day procedure centers, ambulatory outpatient clinics, dialysis centers, long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Risk factors for HAIs include host factors such as compromised immune system due to underlying disease or disruption of mucosal and skin surfaces that increases their risk of developing infections or acquiring organisms that are either high or low virulence. The hospital environment also facilitates the spread of microbial pathogens due to patient proximity, contamination of common equipment, and exposure to water contaminated with microorganisms. Interestingly, new healthcare technologies and methods of monitoring and caring for patients create new portals of entry for infection alter normal host flora, thereby increasing the risk of HAIs.In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 2 million patients experience an HAI each year. This means that 1 in every 10-20 hospitalized patients in the country develops such an infection. These infections cause almost 100,000 deaths and are responsible for an extra $4.5 billion to $6.5 billion in healthcare expenses. We created a plan for solving the problem of HAIs in a Texas county.