HHS Issues Action Plan To Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections

"The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a plan that establishes a set of five-year national prevention targets to reduce and possibly eliminate health care-associated infections (HAIs). Health care-associated infections are infections that patients acquire while undergoing medical treatment or surgical procedures. These infections are largely preventable.

In addition to the tremendous toll on human life, the financial burden attributed to these infections is staggering. HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 1.7 million HAIs occurred in U.S. hospitals in 2002 and were associated with 99,000 deaths. CDC also estimates that HAIs add as much as $20 billion to health care costs each year.

HHS intends to update the plan in response to public input and new recommendations for infection prevention. The plan, and instructions for submitting comments on the plan, can be found online at http://www.hhs.gov/ophs"

Ref. Medical News Today (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com)