Nevada's Healthcare-Associated Infections Plan

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are emerging public health issues and have received increasing public attention. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in 2002 stated that HAIs were among the leading causes of preventable death in the United States, accounting for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths. In addition to the substantial human suffering caused by HAIs, the financial burden attributable to infections is staggering. It is estimated that HAIs cause $28 to $33 billion in excess healthcare costs each year. HAIs occur in all settings of care including acute care hospitals, same day surgical centers, ambulatory care clinics, long term care, and rehabilitation facilities. Nevada healthcare facilities and Infection Preventionists are actively engaged in HAI prevention on a daily basis. By creating infection control plans and implementing proven practices for HAI prevention, they are able to reduce risks associated with acquiring HAIs. Some of these risks include the use of medical devices such as catheters and ventilators, transmission between patients and healthcare workers, the results of surgical complications, and the overuse of antibiotics. Although many professional organizations and Nevada healthcare facilities are routinely working to prevent HAIs, there is limited statewide coordination of HAI prevention activities. In the past, Nevada has had no legislative mandate in place for HAI reporting, limiting quantification of HAI burden in the state as a whole.