Preventing drug-resistant infections in health care

Health care-acquired infections (HAIs) affect millions of health care workers and patients every year and are becoming increasingly resistant to common treatments. These dangerous infections are largely preventable, but are created primarily by the inappropriate administration of antibiotics and spread by inadequate infection control practices by health care workers. Many institutions currently do not report or effectively control HAI outbreaks, but the regulatory climate is changing and medical imaging personnel have an important role in preventing the spread of HAIs. This article introduces contamination types and transmission facets of the HAI problem. Physical reservoirs in the health care environment are identified and the epidemiology, surveillance and control of emerging multidrug-resistant bacteria are reviewed.