Over 30,000 deadly hospital infections per year?

Number of deaths from hospital infection higher than previously thought?

03/28/2014

Every year, tens of thousands of people in Germany die as a result of a so-called clinic infection (nosocomial infections). At the press conference on the 12th Congress for Hospital Hygiene, the experts of the German Society for Hospital Hygiene (DGKH) declared, „that the number of nosocomial infections and nosocomial deaths is significantly higher than previously announced officially.“ According to a recent study by the DGKH, 900,000 infections and at least 30,000 deaths are to be expected.

The numbers mentioned at the congress on the hospital infections caused indignation at the German Hospital Association (DKG). It is true „any avoidable infection as a result of medical treatment is always one too many. However, it is irresponsible to the patients and unhelpful for the hospitals to put unsupported assumptions about deaths into the world“, criticized the DKG CEO Georg Baum. „The National Reference Center estimates that 2,000 to 4,500 potential patients die each year from an avoidable nosocomial infection“, so the press release of the DKG on.

While the associations are extremely divided over the actual number of annual hospital infections, both leave no doubt that action is needed. However, they have very different views on the necessary measures. The DGKH called for an improvement in hygiene and a significant increase in staff, because compliance with the hygiene rules stand and fall with a sufficient number of well-trained staff. In its press release, however, the DKG points to the problem of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and demands reimbursement by the statutory health insurances for the improvement of prophylaxis. Also, structural defects had to be remedied, which required appropriate investment funds.

The demands of the DKG and DGKH give the impression that everyone is acting in accordance with their own interest group instead of actually looking for a solution to the problem of nosocomial infection. For example, the reference of the DKG Chief Executive to the „structural imperfections“ and the demand for an investment promotion program „for modern room and sanitary equipment and for more isolation rooms“ may well be justified, but does not show Baum the possibilities that exist at the clinics themselves. However, in combating infections with antibiotic-resistant pathogens, hospitals may, according to the DKG Chief Executive, contribute to improving prophylaxis by, for example, expanding the number of patients being tested for resistant pathogens when admitted to the hospital. Today, such a test and possibly necessary pre-treatment already for „the risk groups named by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).“ Should more patients be tested, would have „However, the statutory health insurance for the additional costs also pay“, demanded DKG managing director tree - at this point again fully in the sense of its members.

What is certain is that the clinics can not remedy the problem of nosocomial infections without financial support from the statutory health insurance funds and the public sector. In particular, since the increasing spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens is not only due to the improper use of antibiotics in humans, but also in connection with the use of antibiotics in agriculture or is also under certain circumstances appropriate legislative measures on this level are required. Although the numbers mentioned by the DKGH on clinic infections may be excessive, at least among the actors they have significantly increased their awareness of the topic. (Fp)