[Preventable hospital acquired infections are common]

Preventable hospital acquired infections are common A modified GTT (Global trigger tool) was used for 480 patient records from 15 departments at Linköping University Hospital. Sixty-three hospital-acquired infections (HAI) were detected at 59 admissions. Postoperative wound infections were most common (44.4 %). Catheter-related urinary infections occurred in 15.9 %, infections associated with a central venous catheter in 7.9 % and hospital-acquired pneumonia in 6.3 % of all HAI.  Other types of HAI consisting of any abscess or oral Candida infection composed 17.5 %. Some 221 patients were operated (46.0 %). Postoperative wound infections were diagnosed in 28 of them (12.7 %), the majority after discharge from hospital. Most urinary infections were diagnosed in emergency patients (8/10). Prolonged hospital stay or unplanned return to hospital occurred in 54 %. Out of 63 HAI some 76.2 % were judged as probably preventable, and 11.1 % as preventable.