Nosocomial Infections, Sanitation in Medical Settings Research Paper

Nosocomial Infections, Sanitation in Medical Settings - Research Paper Example This refers to the diseases or infections caused by the hospital environment as a favoring factor. According to the CDC the number of deaths as a result of nosocomial diseases is about 100,000 (Acton, 2013). This infections as commonly caused by bacteria and micro-organisms in the hospital environment. Most common nosocomial diseases include pneumonia infections, urinary tract and blood stream infection. In an argument by WHO (2002) nosocomial infections are mostly caused by the inability of health providers to abide by sanitation regulations. The author further asserts that patient mishandling and practitioner carelessness constitute the largest causing factors of nosocomial infections. The infection’s common route of transmission is direct contact. In this mode of transmission a practitioner may come into contact with a patient with equipment that have not be sanitized, or body to body contact. There infection could also be transmitted through droplet transmission. The droplets may be from a sneeze, cough or talking during sensitive procedures. For instance, a practitioner is required to cover their nose and mouth during surgeries to avoid droplet transmission of infection. Airborne transmission is also a common way nosocomial infection are transmitted. This may be in case or airborne diseases such as tuberculosis. Food, water, devices and medications may also transmit infections if poorly handled. Acton (2013) asserts that simple precautions could be put in place to minimize the occurrence of nosocomial infections. Firstly, sterilization should be done of equipment that are reused in a medical setting. In an instance where a practitioner or a patient put the environment at the risk of infection, isolation should be considered for the person. This would ensure the person does not contaminate the health setting. For the practitioners basic hygiene procedures should be