Nearly 44,000 patients annually acquire an infection while in hospital in Ireland, as indicated by a report from the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). On any particular day, it is projected that 7.5% of Irish patients will contract a healthcare-related infection, equating to roughly 915 patients daily.
Simultaneously, antimicrobials are administered to almost 41% patients, which sums up to 5,000 patients at any one point in time, as per the ECDC’s calculations. The figures from Ireland closely match the European averages, as per the ECDC, which also indicates that approximately 4.3 million patients across the EU contract at least one healthcare-related infection (HAI) during their hospital stays.
Dr Andrea Ammon, ECDC director, highlighted the importance of combating the challenge of healthcare-related infections to ensure patient safety throughout Europe. He emphasised the urgency for further measures, suggesting the prioritisation of infection prevention and control policies, alongside antimicrobial stewardship and improved surveillance.
The ECDC survey indicates that Ireland has one of the lowest instances of mask usage in Europe, with a mere 20% of Irish hospitals implementing a policy of continuous use of medical masks. In contrast, all Austrian hospitals reported using universal masking.
This survey identified Covid-19 as a major contributor to healthcare-related infections, with SARS-CoV-2 ranked as the fourth most common microbe in these infections. Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia and Covid-19, amounted to one-third of all reported HAIs.
The use of antimicrobials has witnessed a rise compared to previous surveys, with a 35.5% usage across the EU. The ECDC expressed concern that one in three microbes found in HAIs demonstrated antibiotic resistance, thus confining treatment possibilities. The report also endorsed better prevention and control measures, such as improved hand hygiene and patient isolation, to prevent at least 20% of infections.