What are healthcare-associated infections?

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are those infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions within a healthcare facility. This definition emphasizes that the infections occur during the course of care, rather than being directly caused by a specific procedure or item.

The focus on the treatment setting is crucial because HAIs can arise from various sources, such as invasive procedures, the use of medical devices like catheters, or simply staying in a hospital. This broad definition encompasses a range of conditions that can arise in healthcare environments, highlighting the importance of maintaining stringent infection control practices to mitigate these risks.

In contrast, while other options mention specific scenarios related to infections, they do not capture the comprehensive scope of what constitutes healthcare-associated infections. Infections occurring during surgery are a subset of HAIs but do not encompass all potential infections acquired in a healthcare facility. Similarly, infections contracted from medical supplies are also a subset and do not encompass other sources such as human interactions or pre-existing conditions. Lastly, while sterilization can help prevent certain infections, it is not a catch-all for the prevention of HAIs, which can be influenced by multiple factors beyond just the state of medical supplies. Thus, the correct definition focuses on the context of treatment within healthcare settings as