You visit a hospital expecting to receive treatment, recover from an illness, or undergo a medical procedure that improves your health. But what happens when you develop a new infection while receiving medical care?
This is known as a hospital-acquired infection (HAI), and it is one of the important patient safety challenges facing healthcare facilities worldwide, including hospitals in Nigeria.
Hospital-acquired infections can affect anyone, from patients recovering after surgery to mothers who have just delivered their babies. These infections may develop when harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, enter the body during a hospital stay or medical procedure.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 15 out of every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals in low- and middle-income countries acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospital stay. This highlights the importance of infection prevention, especially in countries where healthcare resources may be limited.
The encouraging news is that many hospital-acquired infections are preventable through proper hygiene, safe medical practices, appropriate use of sterile medical equipment, and effective infection prevention and control measures.
Patients also have an important role to play in protecting themselves.
In this article, we explain what hospital-acquired infections are, their common causes, types, symptoms, and risk factors. More importantly, we share practical steps patients and their families can take to reduce the risk of infection while receiving medical care in Nigeria.
What Is a Hospital-Acquired Infection?
A hospital-acquired infection (HAI) is an infection that a patient develops while receiving treatment in a hospital or another healthcare facility and that was not present or already developing when the patient arrived.
Hospital-acquired infections are also called nosocomial infections.
The broader medical term is healthcare-associated infections, which includes infections linked to care in hospitals, clinics, dialysis centres, surgical facilities, and other healthcare environments.
In hospital surveillance, an infection that develops 48 hours or more after admission may raise suspicion of a hospital-acquired infection. However, this is not a universal rule. Some infections appear earlier, while others develop after discharge, and healthcare professionals use specific clinical definitions to determine whether an infection is associated with medical care.
For example, a patient may be admitted for an operation, recover initially, and later develop an infection around the surgical wound. If that infection is linked to the surgical procedure, it may be classified as a healthcare-associated infection.
Similarly, a patient receiving treatment with a urinary catheter may develop a urinary tract infection associated with the catheter.
Hospital-acquired infections can range from mild infections that respond well to treatment to serious complications that require prolonged hospitalisation.
The WHO identifies these infections as a major patient safety concern because they can increase healthcare costs, contribute to antimicrobial resistance, and cause avoidable illness and death.
How Common Are Hospital-Acquired Infections in Nigeria?
Hospital-acquired infections are not limited to poorly maintained hospitals. They can occur in both public and private healthcare facilities, although effective infection prevention programmes can significantly reduce their frequency.
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Infectious Diseases in July 2025 examined 16 studies involving 86,772 participants in Nigeria.
The researchers reported a pooled healthcare-associated infection prevalence of 15.75%, with urinary tract infections and surgical site infections among the most frequently identified types.
These findings demonstrate why infection prevention must remain a priority for Nigerian healthcare institutions. However, the estimate reflects the studies included in the review and should not be interpreted as the exact infection rate in every Nigerian hospital.
Hospital-acquired infections: key research figures
15 in 100
Patients in acute-care hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, according to WHO estimates
15.75%
Pooled prevalence in a 2025 Nigerian systematic review
What Are the Common Types of Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Hospital-acquired infections affect different parts of the body. Understanding the common types can help patients recognise warning signs and seek treatment promptly.
1. Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
A surgical site infection occurs in the area of the body where an operation was performed.
It may affect the skin surrounding the incision, deeper tissue, or organs involved in the surgery.
Common symptoms include redness, swelling, increased pain, warmth around the wound, pus or unusual drainage, and fever.
Surgical site infections may occur after procedures such as caesarean sections, abdominal surgery, orthopaedic surgery, or other operations.
Although every surgical procedure carries some infection risk, proper skin preparation, sterile instruments, appropriate antibiotic use, and wound care can help reduce that risk.
Patients should also follow post-operative instructions carefully and avoid touching surgical wounds unnecessarily.
2. Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs)
A urinary catheter is a flexible tube inserted into the bladder to drain urine.
Catheters are sometimes necessary during surgery, critical illness, or certain medical conditions. However, they can provide a route for bacteria to enter the urinary tract.
When an infection is associated with catheter use, it is called a catheter-associated urinary tract infection.
Possible symptoms include fever, lower abdominal discomfort, pain during urination after catheter removal, and changes in urinary symptoms.
Patients should not remove catheters themselves. Instead, they can ask their healthcare team whether the catheter is still necessary and when it can be safely removed.
3. Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs)
A central line is a special intravenous catheter placed into a large vein to deliver medicines, fluids, or other treatments.
Although central lines are essential for some patients, microorganisms can enter the bloodstream if appropriate infection prevention measures are not followed.
A central line-associated bloodstream infection can become serious and may lead to sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection.
Possible warning signs include fever, chills, weakness, low blood pressure, and redness or discharge around the catheter insertion site.
Healthcare professionals reduce these risks through sterile insertion techniques, proper dressing changes, regular inspection, and removing central lines when they are no longer needed.
4. Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is a lung infection that develops during hospitalisation and was not already developing when the patient was admitted.
It can occur in patients who have difficulty swallowing, are seriously ill, or have limited mobility.
A related condition, ventilator-associated pneumonia, affects some patients who require mechanical ventilation to support breathing.
Symptoms may include coughing, fever, difficulty breathing, chest discomfort, and changes in respiratory secretions.
Prevention involves appropriate respiratory care, hand hygiene, oral care, mobility when medically suitable, and careful management of breathing equipment.
5. Gastrointestinal Infections
Some hospital-acquired infections affect the digestive system.
One important example is infection caused by Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), a bacterium that can cause diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon.
It is often associated with antibiotic exposure and healthcare settings.
Symptoms can include frequent watery diarrhoea, stomach pain, fever, and dehydration.
Because some gastrointestinal pathogens spread through contaminated hands and surfaces, environmental cleaning, appropriate isolation precautions, and thorough handwashing are essential.
Patients experiencing new or severe diarrhoea during or after hospital treatment should inform a healthcare professional promptly.
What Causes Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Hospital-acquired infections occur when harmful microorganisms enter the body or spread in ways that lead to illness.
Hospitals treat people with different medical conditions, including infectious diseases. This means healthcare workers, patients, visitors, medical equipment, and frequently touched surfaces may all be involved in the transmission of infectious microorganisms.
However, the presence of microorganisms does not automatically mean that someone will develop an infection.
Several factors influence whether an infection occurs, including the patient’s health, the microorganism involved, and the procedures being performed.
Poor Hand Hygiene
Hands are one of the major ways microorganisms can spread in healthcare settings.
When healthcare workers, patients, or visitors do not clean their hands at appropriate times, they may unintentionally transfer germs from one surface or person to another.
For example, touching a contaminated surface and then touching a wound or medical device can increase the possibility of introducing microorganisms.
The CDC emphasises that hand hygiene helps prevent the spread of pathogens, including those resistant to antibiotics.
Contaminated or Improperly Handled Medical Equipment
Medical equipment must be handled according to appropriate infection prevention procedures.
Reusable devices require validated cleaning, disinfection, or sterilisation processes, depending on how they are used.
Single-use devices, including disposable syringes and needles, must not be reused between patients.
Unsafe injection practices can expose patients and healthcare workers to bloodborne infections and other complications.
This is why correctly manufactured, appropriately stored, sterile medical consumables are an essential part of safer healthcare delivery.
Improper Wound Care
An open wound creates an opportunity for microorganisms to enter the body.
If surgical wounds are touched with unclean hands, exposed unnecessarily, or dressed using inappropriate techniques, the risk of infection may increase.
Healthcare professionals must follow suitable wound care procedures, while patients should avoid disturbing their dressings without clinical guidance.
Invasive Medical Procedures
Some medical procedures involve inserting instruments or devices into the body.
Examples include urinary catheterisation, intravenous cannulation, surgery, and the use of breathing tubes.
These procedures are often necessary and beneficial. However, they can bypass the body’s natural protective barriers.
Following sterile or aseptic techniques, maintaining devices correctly, and removing unnecessary devices promptly can help reduce infection risks.
Inadequate Environmental Cleaning
Hospital environments contain surfaces that many people touch throughout the day.
Bed rails, door handles, bedside tables, examination couches, and medical equipment can become contaminated.
Regular cleaning and appropriate disinfection reduce opportunities for microorganisms to spread.
Healthcare facilities also need reliable water supplies, sanitation systems, waste management, and access to hand hygiene materials.
Who Is Most at Risk of Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Although any patient can develop an infection associated with healthcare, some people are more vulnerable.
These include newborn babies, premature infants, older adults, and patients with weakened immune systems.
People with diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, or other serious illnesses may also experience an increased risk depending on their condition and treatment.
Patients recovering from major surgery, receiving chemotherapy, spending extended periods in intensive care, or requiring invasive medical devices may need additional protection.
Longer hospital stays can also increase exposure opportunities, although the relationship between hospitalisation and infection risk is influenced by illness severity and the care being provided.
Recognising these risk factors allows healthcare teams to take appropriate preventive measures.
For patients and caregivers, understanding personal risk helps them ask informed questions and recognise unusual symptoms early.
How Can Patients Protect Themselves From Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Preventing hospital-acquired infections is primarily the responsibility of healthcare facilities and their staff. However, patients and family members can support infection prevention by practising good hygiene, asking questions, and following medical instructions.
Here are ten practical ways patients can reduce their risk.
1. Practise Proper Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections.
Patients should clean their hands regularly, especially before eating, after using the toilet, before and after touching a wound dressing, and after coughing or sneezing.
Hands should also be cleaned after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.
When washing your hands, use soap and clean running water, rubbing all surfaces for at least 20 seconds.
An alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol is a useful alternative in many situations when hands are not visibly dirty. Soap and water are particularly important when hands are visibly soiled and when certain gastrointestinal infections are suspected.
Patients should also feel comfortable asking healthcare workers to clean their hands before providing care.
For instance, you might politely say, “Please, could you sanitise your hands before checking my wound?”
This simple question promotes a culture of patient safety rather than confrontation.
2. Ensure Safe Injection Practices
Injections are common in Nigerian healthcare facilities, whether for administering medicines, vaccines, or other prescribed treatments.
However, unsafe injection practices can transmit dangerous infections.
The CDC recommends using a new sterile needle and syringe for each patient and never reusing either device between patients. Changing the needle does not make a previously used syringe safe for another patient.
As a patient, you can protect yourself by observing whether appropriate disposable injection equipment is being used.
Where possible, ensure that a new sterile syringe and needle are prepared for your injection. Do not hesitate to ask a healthcare worker about the safety of the equipment.
Patients should never purchase or use medical syringes from unreliable sources.
For healthcare facilities, procuring syringes from reputable medical consumables suppliers is an important part of maintaining dependable infection prevention practices.
At O-care, we recognise the importance of access to medical consumables that support safe injection practices in Nigerian healthcare settings.
3. Follow Proper Wound Care Instructions
If you undergo surgery or receive treatment for an injury, proper wound care is essential.
Keep your wound dressing clean and follow the instructions provided by your healthcare professional.
Do not remove or change dressings unnecessarily.
Before handling a wound or dressing, clean your hands thoroughly.
Avoid applying unprescribed creams, herbal mixtures, powders, or other substances to surgical wounds, as these may irritate the wound or introduce contamination.
Watch for signs of infection such as increasing redness, swelling, pain, pus, or fever.
If any of these symptoms develop, contact your healthcare provider promptly.
The CDC also advises patients not to shave near a planned surgical site with a razor because shaving can damage the skin and increase the risk of infection.
4. Ask About Catheters and Other Medical Devices
Catheters and intravenous lines can be necessary for medical treatment, but they should not remain in place longer than clinically required.
Patients can ask their healthcare professionals whether a catheter or intravenous line is still needed.
For example, if you have a urinary catheter, you can ask when it may be safely removed.
Do not touch, disconnect, or remove medical devices yourself.
If you notice pain, swelling, redness, leakage, or discomfort around an insertion site, notify a nurse or doctor.
Regular monitoring and timely removal of unnecessary devices are important components of infection prevention.
5. Follow Respiratory Hygiene Practices
Respiratory infections can spread through infectious particles released when people breathe, cough, sneeze, or speak.
Patients experiencing respiratory symptoms should inform their healthcare team.
Depending on the infection and hospital policy, precautions may include wearing an appropriate mask, improving ventilation, maintaining distance, or using a designated care area.
When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your bent elbow.
Dispose of used tissues properly and clean your hands afterwards.
Visitors with fever, cough, or other symptoms of an infectious illness should avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
These precautions are especially important around newborn babies, older adults, and patients with weakened immune systems.
6. Take Antibiotics Only When Prescribed
Antibiotics are important medicines for treating bacterial infections, but they do not treat viral illnesses such as the common cold.
Using antibiotics when they are not needed can contribute to antimicrobial resistance, making some bacterial infections harder to treat.
Patients should take antibiotics according to their healthcare professional’s instructions.
Do not share antibiotics with other people, use leftover prescriptions, or purchase antibiotics for self-treatment without appropriate medical guidance.
If you experience side effects or have questions about your prescribed medicine, speak with your healthcare provider rather than independently changing the dosage.
Responsible antibiotic use protects individual patients and supports wider efforts to control antimicrobial resistance.
7. Keep Your Personal Environment Clean
Patients should avoid placing personal belongings on medical treatment surfaces whenever possible.
Frequently used items such as mobile phones, eyeglasses, and personal care products should be kept reasonably clean.
Do not share towels, toothbrushes, razors, or other personal hygiene items with fellow patients.
If your hospital bed, toilet, bedside table, or other surrounding area appears visibly unclean, inform the appropriate hospital staff.
Patients should not attempt to disinfect medical equipment themselves. Such equipment requires cleaning procedures appropriate to its intended use.
8. Limit Unnecessary Visitors
Family support plays an important role in recovery, particularly in Nigerian hospitals where relatives may assist patients with daily needs.
However, frequent visitors can increase opportunities for microorganisms to enter patient care areas.
Hospitals should establish visitor guidelines based on their infection risks and patient needs.
Family members should clean their hands before and after visiting, avoid touching wounds or medical devices, and follow any isolation instructions.
People who are sick should postpone non-essential visits.
Patients with weakened immune systems may need stricter visitor precautions based on advice from their healthcare team.
9. Speak Up When Something Seems Unsafe
Patients should feel confident asking questions about their treatment.
For example, it is reasonable to ask whether a medical instrument has been appropriately sterilised, whether a needle is new, or why a catheter is still required.
If you are concerned about hygiene or equipment handling, speak with a nurse, doctor, or infection prevention officer.
Clear communication can help prevent mistakes and ensure that patients understand the care they are receiving.
Remember that asking questions about your safety is a normal part of participating in healthcare decisions.
10. Recognise Infection Symptoms Early
Early identification and treatment can reduce the likelihood of complications.
Inform your healthcare team if you develop new fever, chills, unusual weakness, worsening pain, redness around a wound, pus, difficulty breathing, or persistent diarrhoea.
Not every fever or new symptom indicates a hospital-acquired infection. Healthcare professionals may need to conduct examinations or laboratory tests to identify the cause.
However, unexplained symptoms should never be ignored.
Seek emergency medical attention for severe difficulty breathing, new confusion, fainting, or other signs of serious deterioration.
What Role Does Medical Equipment Play in Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Medical equipment plays an important role in protecting patients from preventable infections.
In hospitals, healthcare workers use syringes, needles, intravenous cannulas, surgical instruments, gloves, and other medical consumables to provide treatment.
Depending on their purpose, these products must meet appropriate manufacturing, storage, handling, and infection prevention requirements.
Why Sterile Syringes Matter
A sterile syringe is intended to be free from viable microorganisms when supplied under its validated sterile packaging conditions.
Using a sterile, single-use syringe correctly helps reduce the risk of introducing microorganisms during an injection.
However, sterility alone is not enough.
Healthcare professionals must also practise hand hygiene, prepare medicines aseptically, avoid contaminating syringe tips and needles, and dispose of used equipment safely.
A sterile syringe can become contaminated through improper handling.
For this reason, infection prevention requires both suitable medical products and correct clinical practices.
The Importance of Single-Use Syringes
Single-use syringes are designed for one-time use in accordance with their intended purpose.
Reusing needles or syringes between patients is unsafe because it can transmit bloodborne pathogens and cause bacterial or fungal infections.
The CDC summarises safe injection practice with a simple principle: One Needle, One Syringe, Only One Time.
Healthcare facilities should also maintain systems for disposing of used needles and syringes immediately into appropriate sharps containers.
Used sharps should not be left on bedside tables, placed in ordinary waste bins, or handled unnecessarily by patients or visitors.
Choosing Reliable Medical Consumables
Healthcare administrators and procurement officers should consider more than the purchase price when selecting medical consumables.
Important procurement considerations include applicable regulatory requirements, the product’s intended use, packaging integrity, labelled sterility where required, expiry date, traceability, and appropriate storage conditions.
For medical syringes, healthcare institutions should also review relevant product documentation and assess suitability for their clinical procedures.
Reliable procurement processes help facilities maintain consistent access to suitable equipment and reduce the temptation to adopt unsafe alternatives during supply shortages.
Why Hospital-Acquired Infection Prevention Matters in Nigeria
Nigeria’s healthcare system serves a large and diverse population through primary healthcare centres, general hospitals, teaching hospitals, specialist facilities, and private clinics.
Across these settings, infection prevention is an essential component of healthcare quality.
Challenges can include unreliable water supplies, inconsistent access to consumables, overcrowded wards, insufficient staffing, and gaps in infection surveillance.
These challenges differ significantly between facilities, and many Nigerian healthcare institutions actively maintain infection prevention programmes.
Nevertheless, strengthening infection prevention systems remains a national healthcare priority.
The Economic Impact on Patients and Families
A hospital-acquired infection can increase the financial burden of receiving medical care.
Patients may require additional tests, medicines, wound care, or a longer hospital stay.
For families paying substantial healthcare expenses out of pocket, these additional costs can be difficult to manage.
Longer hospitalisation may also result in lost income, transportation expenses, and the need for additional caregiving.
Preventing infections therefore supports both patient health and financial well-being.
Antimicrobial Resistance and Patient Safety
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microorganisms develop the ability to survive medicines that previously worked against them.
Some hospital-acquired infections involve bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics.
These infections may require more complex or expensive treatment.
Preventing infections reduces the need for antibiotic treatment in the first place and is therefore an important part of addressing antimicrobial resistance.
WHO’s 2024 global infection prevention and control report emphasises the relationship between healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and healthcare quality.
How Can Nigerian Hospitals Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections?
Patients can contribute to infection prevention, but healthcare institutions carry the primary responsibility for creating safe treatment environments.
An effective hospital infection prevention programme requires management commitment, trained personnel, suitable infrastructure, and regular evaluation.
Establish Clear Infection Prevention Policies
Healthcare facilities should develop infection prevention policies covering hand hygiene, standard precautions, environmental cleaning, medical device management, injection safety, and waste disposal.
These policies should be based on recognised guidance and adapted to the services provided by the facility.
Hospitals should also establish systems for identifying, investigating, and responding to suspected healthcare-associated infections.
Train Healthcare Workers Regularly
Infection prevention training should not be limited to newly employed staff.
Doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel, cleaners, and other workers need appropriate ongoing education.
Training may cover hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, safe injection practices, wound care, and cleaning procedures.
Facilities should monitor whether these practices are consistently followed and provide constructive feedback.
Maintain Consistent Supplies of Medical Consumables
Hospitals need reliable access to appropriate medical supplies.
Shortages of gloves, sterile syringes, disinfectants, dressing materials, and other essential products can disrupt normal care processes.
Procurement and inventory management teams should anticipate demand, monitor stock levels, and maintain appropriate storage conditions.
For medical consumables manufacturers and suppliers, consistency, traceability, and suitable product documentation are important ways to support healthcare delivery.
Promote a Culture of Patient Safety
A strong patient safety culture encourages healthcare workers to report hazards, discuss mistakes, and continuously improve clinical practices.
Patients should also be encouraged to ask questions and report concerns without fear of being dismissed.
This collaborative approach helps make infection prevention part of everyday healthcare rather than a responsibility discussed only during outbreaks.
According to WHO, strong infection prevention and control programmes incorporating measures such as good hand hygiene can prevent a substantial proportion of healthcare-associated infections.
What Should You Do if You Suspect a Hospital-Acquired Infection?
If you notice possible infection symptoms during hospitalisation or after discharge, seek medical advice promptly.
Explain when the symptoms began, the treatments or procedures you recently received, and whether you have any wounds, catheters, or intravenous lines.
Your healthcare professional may examine the affected area, request laboratory tests, or recommend further investigations.
Treatment depends on the type and severity of infection and may involve appropriate antimicrobial medicines, drainage of an infected collection, wound care, or management of a medical device.
Avoid self-medicating with antibiotics or attempting to treat a suspected surgical infection using home remedies.
Early medical assessment is especially important for patients with diabetes, weakened immunity, recent surgery, or serious underlying health conditions.
Conclusion: Protecting Patients Starts With Infection Prevention
Hospital-acquired infections remain a significant healthcare challenge in Nigeria and around the world.
Although these infections can occur during necessary medical treatment, many are preventable when healthcare facilities consistently follow appropriate infection prevention measures.
Good hand hygiene, safe injection practices, proper wound care, responsible antibiotic use, environmental cleaning, and the correct handling of medical devices all contribute to reducing infection risks.
Patients and their families also have an important role to play. By asking questions, following clinical instructions, and reporting unusual symptoms early, they can participate more actively in safer healthcare.
For Nigerian hospitals, clinics, and healthcare professionals, access to appropriate medical consumables is one important part of maintaining effective infection prevention practices.
O-care is committed to supporting awareness of safer injection practices and the importance of reliable medical consumables in healthcare delivery.
Healthcare institutions seeking information about O-care medical syringes can contact the O-care team to discuss product specifications, availability, and procurement requirements.
Together, patients, healthcare workers, and medical suppliers can contribute to safer healthcare environments across Nigeria.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hospital-Acquired Infections
1. What is a hospital-acquired infection in simple terms?
A hospital-acquired infection is an infection that develops while a patient is receiving hospital care and was not already present or developing when the patient was admitted.
Examples include infections associated with surgery, urinary catheters, intravenous lines, or hospital treatment.
2. What are the most common hospital-acquired infections?
Common hospital-acquired infections include surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and certain gastrointestinal infections.
The most frequently reported types vary between hospitals and patient populations.
In a 2025 Nigerian systematic review, urinary tract infections and surgical site infections were among the most prevalent categories.
3. How can patients prevent hospital-acquired infections?
Patients can help reduce their risk by practising hand hygiene, following wound care instructions, asking about the safe use of medical equipment, avoiding unnecessary contact with catheters or dressings, and reporting possible infection symptoms.
Healthcare facilities must also maintain effective infection prevention programmes.
4. Can hospital-acquired infections be treated?
Yes. Many hospital-acquired infections can be treated successfully, particularly when identified promptly.
Treatment depends on the microorganism involved, the site of infection, the patient’s health, and whether antimicrobial resistance is present.
Some serious infections require hospital-based treatment or additional procedures.
5. How long does it take for a hospital-acquired infection to appear?
Some hospital-acquired infections become noticeable after several days in hospital, while others may appear after discharge.
Although 48 hours after admission is sometimes used as a surveillance reference point, the timing varies by infection type and medical procedure.
A healthcare professional must assess the circumstances to determine whether an infection is associated with hospital care.
6. Can contaminated syringes cause hospital-acquired infections?
Yes. Unsafe injection practices involving contaminated or reused needles and syringes can transmit bloodborne infections and cause bacterial or fungal infections.
Using appropriate sterile, single-use injection equipment and following safe injection procedures helps reduce these risks.
7. Are hospital-acquired infections completely preventable?
Not all hospital-acquired infections can be prevented because some patients have complex medical conditions or require invasive treatment.
However, a large proportion can be prevented through effective infection prevention and control programmes, proper hand hygiene, suitable medical equipment, and adherence to clinical safety guidelines.