Beware!You Can Acquire These Infections From The Hospital

                 

We go to the clinic whenever we are really sick, but sometimes that stay can lead to another illness on top of that first medical issue. These health care-associated infections or Nosocomial infections occur because a hospital puts a lot of people with infections in one place, many of them with low immunity, without strict procedures for maintaining sterile conditions; these can cause pathogens to spread.

Catheter UTI

Sometimes patients can't urinate due to injury, surgery or other reasons. When that happens, a nurse or doctor may install a catheter that automatically drains urine from the person's bladder. One end of the tube goes through the skin and into the bladder; the other end attaches to a collection bag.
The problem is that the bladder and urinary tract are usually germ-free environments, and introducing an external tube can allow pathogens to get into the bladder and cause a urinary tract infection, the most common hospital-acquired infection.


These illnesses are often caused by common bacteria found in your intestines, on your skin, or in your mouth and nose. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella are potential culprits. When they get into the urinary tract, however, there are no other bacteria there to keep them in check, so they multiply quickly and cause an infection. Symptoms can include pain or difficulty urinating, excessively frequent urination (after the catheter is removed), fever, a painful lower abdomen

Surgical site infections

Whenever human skin is penetrated, microscopic invaders can bypass the body's natural defenses, leading to an infection. Minimizing the number of people moving in and out of the room during surgery and stopping the use of razors to remove body hair before surgery can reduce the chances of an SSI. Antibiotics before surgery also can prevent bacteria from thriving at the surgical site.

GIT infections

Gastroenteritis is the most common nosocomial infection in children, who are typically affected by rotavirus. Adults who contract gastroenteritis in a hospital are often infected by Clostridium difficile [source: WHO]. C. difficile is particularly dangerous since the bacterial strain has become resistant to many antibiotics.
Maintaining a sterile environment in the hospital remains the key to preventing these infections, but hospitals also have to consider the food they serve to patients and proper handling of equipments.

Virus infections
Bacteria cause many of the hospital-acquired infections, but viruses can also fly around the hospital too. Whenever someone comes to a hospital infected there's a chance that virus can spread to other patients. Many of the measures for preventing bacterial infections also work against viruses: hand-washing, sterile equipment and surfaces, and properly designed heat and ventilation systems.
Every virus has its own method of transmission though, which presents its own difficulties. HIV and ebola are spread through contact with bodily fluids, something hospital workers may encounter a lot. Meanwhile, hepatitis C spreads through contaminated blood. Ever flexible, hospitals have to develop and follow safety procedures for each possible virus, including the use of protective equipment, proper handling of needles, proper storage and handling of blood.

Fungal infections
Fungal infections can enter the body and be spread through a hospital just like the other infections on this list. Catheters, surgical sites and examinations from hospital workers who haven't washed their hands loom as possible ways for fungal infections to occur. There are a few differences between fungal infections and viral or bacterial infections, however.
Fungi occur naturally in the environment. Patients with weak immune systems are most at risk, so if a doctor prescribes an antifungal medication, it's important to take it properly. Hospital cleanliness and ventilation are important.