Volume 7, Number 2—April 2001
THEME ISSUE
4th Decennial International Conference on Nosocomial and Healthcare-Associated Infections
Introduction
The Impact of Hospital-Acquired Bloodstream Infections
Richard P. Wenzel
and Michael B. Edmond
and Michael B. EdmondTable 3
Handwashing and nosocomial bloodstream infections and deaths
| No. of lives saved | No. of lives saved | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Attributable | if 25% of BSIa | if 50% of BSI | |
| mortality rate (%) | Expected deaths | occur in ICUsb | occur in ICUs |
| 15 | 1,875 | 469 | 938 |
| 20 | 2,500 | 625 | 1,250 |
| 25 | 3,125 | 781 | 1,562 |
| 30 | 3,750 | 937 | 1,874 |
aBSI = Bloodstream infections; ICU = Intensive-care unit.
bAssumptions in this analysis: 50,000 (25%) or 100,000 (50%) of BSI occur in ICUs, and a 25% increase in handwashing prevented 25% of BSIs. Known (14): In ICUs, a 28% increase in handwashing was related to a reduction of risk of BS1 of 56/10,000 ICU admissions, a reduced attack rate of 45%, and a reduced incidence density rate of 22%.
