Medical Devices Are Responsible For 95% Of Healthcare Infections: Study

The study

In numerous countries, surveillance of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) has become an essential component of infection control programmes, particularly in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, surveillance data on the epidemiology of ICU-acquired illnesses are scarce. The goal of this study was to compare observed incidence rates with international benchmarks and to characterise the microbiological and antibiotic resistance profiles of infecting organisms in order to assess the risk of ICU-acquired infections and to identify areas for improvement in hospitals.

According to a study performed by AIIMS, 95 per cent of healthcare-associated infections such as bloodstream, ventilator pneumonia, and urinary tract are device-related. The Pan-India Network on Healthcare Associated Infections and Infection Control conducted the surveillance study in collaboration with 121 hospitals across the country.

These findings highlight the critical need for comprehensive infection control measures and antimicrobial stewardship programmes in hospital settings to tackle the rising threat of device-related infections and antibiotic resistance.

Departments involved in the study

According to Dr Purva Mathur, Professor, Microbiology Unit at AIIMS Trauma Centre, the study found a significant proportion of antibiotic resistance in these diseases. This surveillance network was built and led by the AIIMS Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, with technical assistance from the ICMR at AIIMS, New Delhi, and collaboration with the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Results of the study

The network is partially funded and technically supported by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the study, E. coli was the most common bacteria that caused bloodstream infections, pneumonia, and urine infections, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae, pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus. As per the results of the study, Imipenem susceptibility of E coli has dropped steadily from 81 per cent in 2017 to 66 per cent in 2022 and that of Klebsiella pneumoniae dropped steadily from 59 per cent in 2017 to 42 per cent in 2022.