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High Hospital Infection - A Serious Threat
Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are preventable with increased
infection control measures
Hospitals in India have a high burden of infections in their ICUs and wards,
many of which are resistant to antibiotic treatment, according to the Global
Antibiotic Resistance Partnership (GARP)-India Working Group and the Center
for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP).
The 2011 GARP report, Situation Analysis: Antibiotic Use and Resistance in India
also states that a large proportion of these hospital acquired infections (HAI)
are preventable with increased infection control measures.
In Indian ICUs, the rate of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), a dangerous
hospital infection, is five times the rate in the rest of the world. Rates of
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Indian ICUs are also high, with
one study finding over 80 per cent of S aureus samples testing positive for
resistance to methicillin and closely related antibiotics.
GARP research estimates that of the approximately 190,000 neonatal deaths in
India each year due to sepsis and over 30 per cent are attributable to antibiotic
resistance. Antibiotic resistant hospital infections can be especially deadly
because antibiotics are used intensely in hospitals compared with the community,
and frequent use drives the development of highly resistant bacteria.
In response to the growing burden of HAIs in India, GARP is issuing several
key recommendations to reduce the prevalence of HAIs. The Ministry of Health
& Family Welfare Task Force also recommends that all hospitals create an
infection control plan, committee and team.
EH News Bureau
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