The JCAHO reports that despite the small number of
infection-related sentinel event cases reported to the Joint Commission, the number of
patients acquiring infections in a health care setting, as well as the number of patient
deaths due to an acquired infection, remains high. According to estimates from the
Centers for Disease Control, nearly two million patients in the United States get an
infection in hospitals each year, of these two million, about 90,000 patients die as a
result of their infection. Infections are also a complication of care in other
settings including long-term care facilities, clinics and dialysis centers.
To view more information on this topic and recommended guidelines
visit the JCAHO Web site at: http://www.jcaho.org/about+us/news+letters/sentinel+event+alert/print/sea_28.htm