eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Infectious Disease

Hospital-Acquired Infections: Follow-up

Author: Quoc V Nguyen, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, New York State Health Department
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jan 14, 2009

Follow-up

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Outbreaks of nosocomial invasive infections may become the subject of adverse publicity and legal suits against institutions and medical personnel.
  • Many states have adopted educational courses that emphasize infection control, as well as strict enforcement and reporting of violation of hand-washing codes. Many hospitals have reorganized the physical layout of hand-washing stations and have adopted patient cohorting to prevent the spreading of pathogens. They have also restricted or rotated the administration of many antibiotics that are used to combat nosocomial infections.

Special Concerns

  • Bacterial agents: Multiple-resistant organisms, such as vancomycin-resistant enterococci, glycopeptide-resistant S aureus, and inducible or extended-spectrum beta-lactamase gram-negative organisms, are a constant threat.
  • Viral agents: The rapid spread of respiratory syncytial virus among pediatric patients during an epidemic poses a threat to susceptible children who require hospitalization during winter months.
 


More on Hospital-Acquired Infections

Overview: Hospital-Acquired Infections
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Hospital-Acquired Infections
Treatment & Medication: Hospital-Acquired Infections
Follow-up: Hospital-Acquired Infections
References
[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

References

  1. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System report, data summary from October 1986-April 1998, issued June 1998. Am J Infect Control. Oct 1998;26(5):522-33. [Medline].

  2. Wenzel R, Edmond MD. The impact of Hospital Acquired Blood Stream Infections. Emerg Inf Dis. Mar-Apr 2001;7(174).

  3. Richards MJ, Edwards JR, Culver DH, Gaynes RP. Nosocomial infections in pediatric intensive care units in the United States. National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System. Pediatrics. Apr 1999;103(4):e39. [Medline].

  4. Dancer SJ. Mopping up hospital infection. J Hosp Infect. Oct 1999;43(2):85-100. [Medline].

  5. Davey P, Brown E, Fenelon L, et al. Interventions to improve antibiotic prescribing practices for hospital inpatients. In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2005.

  6. Deville JG, Adler S, Azimi PH, et al. Linezolid versus vancomycin in the treatment of known or suspected resistant gram-positive infections in neonates. Pediatr Infect Dis J. Sep 2003;22(9 Suppl):S158-63. [Medline].

  7. Garner JS. Guideline for isolation precautions in hospitals. The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [published erratum appears in Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996 Apr;17(4):214]. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. Jan 1996;17(1):53-80. [Medline].

  8. McKibben L, Horan T, Tokars JI, et al. Guidance on public reporting of healthcare-associated infections: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. Am J Infect Control. May 2005;33(4):217-26. [Medline].

  9. Moellering RC Jr. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Clin Infect Dis. May 1998;26(5):1196-9. [Medline].

  10. Rice LB, Shlaes DM. Vancomycin resistance in the enterococcus. Relevance in pediatrics. Pediatr Clin North Am. Jun 1995;42(3):601-18. [Medline].

  11. Scott PT, Petersen K, Fishbain J. Acinetobacter baumannii Infections Among Patients at Military Medical Facilities Treating Injured US Service Members, 2002-2004. MMWR. 2004;53:1063-1066.

  12. Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L. Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Health Care Settings, 2006. Atlanta, GA: Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee; 2006. 1-74.

  13. Standfast SJ, Michelsen PB, Baltch AL. A prevalence survey of infections in a combined acute and long-term care hospital. Infect Control. Apr 1984;5(4):177-84. [Medline].

  14. Steed CJ. Common infections acquired in the hospital: the nurse's role in prevention. Nurs Clin North Am. Jun 1999;34(2):443-61. [Medline].

  15. Tablan OC, Anderson LJ, Besser R, Bridges C, Hajjeh R. MMWR Recommendations and Reports: Guidelines for Preventing Health Care-Associated Pneumonia. Atlanta, GA: CDC; March 26, 2004. 1-36.

  16. Weinstein JW, Mazon D, Pantelick E. A decade of prevalence surveys in a tertiary-care center: trends in nosocomial infection rates, device utilization, and patient acuity. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. Aug 1999;20(8):543-8. [Medline].

  17. Witte W, Braulke C, Cuny C, et al. Emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus with Panton-Valentine leukocidin genes in central Europe. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. Jan 2005;24(1):1-5. [Medline].

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Further Reading

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Keywords

hospital-acquired infections, health care–acquired infections, nosocomial infection, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, VRE, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA, Pseudomonas, candidiasis, Legionella, respiratory syncytial virus, thrush, Clostridium difficile, viral respiratory infections, influenza, parainfluenza, sinusitis, otitis, tracheitis, phlebitis, line infection, bloodstream infection, ventilator-associated pneumonia, urinary tract infection, UTI, surgical-site infection, coagulase-negative staphylococci, enterococci, fungi, , pseudomonads,

[ CLOSE WINDOW ]

Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Quoc V Nguyen, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, New York State Health Department
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

David Jaimovich, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Joint Commission International and Joint Commission Resources
David Jaimovich, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

Managing Editor

Joseph Domachowske, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, State University of New York-Upstate Medical University
Joseph Domachowske, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, and Phi Beta Kappa
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Robert W Tolan Jr, MD, Chief, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine
Robert W Tolan Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Physicians for Social Responsibility
Disclosure: GlaxoSmithKline Honoraria Speaking and teaching; MedImmune Honoraria Consulting; MedImmune Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Merck Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Novartis Honoraria Speaking and teaching; sanofi pasteur Grant/research funds Unrestricted research grant; sanofi pasteur  Consulting; sanofi pasteur Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Tap Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Baxter Healthcare Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Chief Editor

Russell W Steele, MD, Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ochsner Children's Health Center; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine
Russell W Steele, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Immunologists, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Louisiana State Medical Society, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and Southern Medical Association
Disclosure: None None None

RELATED EMEDICINE ARTICLES
Patient Education
 
 
HONcode

We subscribe to the
HONcode principles of the
Health On the Net Foundation

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright© 1994- by Medscape.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

DISCLAIMER: The content of this Website is not influenced by sponsors. The site is designed primarily for use by qualified physicians and other medical professionals. The information contained herein should NOT be used as a substitute for the advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed physician or other health care provider. The information provided here is for educational and informational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as offering medical advice. Please check with a physician if you suspect you are ill.