Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI’s) are a major issue affecting patient outcomes and resulting in detrimental healthcare costs. The Centers for Disease Control reports that in the US an estimated 5-10% of hospitalized patients contract HAI’s.
As many as 2 million infections and 100,000 deaths per year occur, making this the #1 cause of death in the US ahead of all other major illnesses, including HIV/AIDS and breast cancer COMBINED!
HAI’s impact on the quality of care – increasing the length of stay by up to 5 times and costing as much as $45 BILLION to the US economy. Per case, the treatment costs range from 15,000 to 45,000 dollars!
Hospitals already utilize many methods and protocols to tackle this issue, however, infections persist and more can be done in this fight. The deployment of Antimicrobial Surfaces in the patient care environment is a powerful addition to fight infections.
Terminal cleaning, after patient discharge, can effectively debulk beds of contagious bacteria, but once a patient is back in the room, bed surfaces quickly return to pre-cleaning levels.
Sources from recent Bed Techs posts:
- Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Costs have doubled since 2002.1
- Beds are the most contaminated surface in hospital room.2-10
- Admission to a room previously occupied by an infected patient significantly increases the odds of acquiring that infection.11-14
- Studies show hospital beds are not always cleaned adequately.15-18