Long before COVID, hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) have been an ongoing problem all over North America and in Europe, and have been with us for centuries. Given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) keeps tabs on HAIs in U.S. medical facilities, we have a considerable amount of data telling us when, where, and in what numbers they occur. Approximately five percent of all patients in U.S. hospitals develop a hospital-acquired infection and of that number, nearly 100,000 people die. Further, human HAIs account for as much as $45 billion in direct and indirect costs. Since many insurance companies will not reimburse hospitals or health-care centers for HAIs, these costs are often passed on directly to the health-care provider.

We also should know HAIs can and do occur in veterinary clinics and hospitals.

While veterinary data for this field is minimal, we do know the following:¹

• Hospital-associated infections do occur in veterinary medicine, and their frequency is likely to increase.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs), pneumonia, bloodstream infections, surgical site infections, and infectious diarrhea are the most common types of HAIs.
• To address this problem, all veterinary staff members must be educated about HAIs and look for the signs associated with them so they can be detected early.
• Further, veterinary clinics and hospitals should have a hospital infection-control program in place, an infection control officer among the staff, and written protocols as to the steps to take should there be an outbreak, along with ensuring proper staff training.²

According to Infection Control Accounting Services, a consulting firm, the most common infection-causing bacteria in veterinary clinics are the following:

• Enterococcus spp
• E. coli
• Staphylococcus spp
• Enterobacter spp
• Klebsiella spp
• Acinetobacter spp
• Pseudomonas spp

Infection Control Accounting Services further notes implementing "best practices," including appropriate hand hygiene, skin prep, and cleaning protocols, are essential to help mitigate the number of veterinary HAIs.

Cleaning and HAIs

While it is undoubtedly true proper hand hygiene is critical to preventing all types of HAIs, proper and effective cleaning using the right cleaning solutions, tools, equipment, and procedures should be considered just as crucial. One of the first steps practice managers can take is make sure they are working with a janitorial-sanitation (jan-san) distributor. Over the years, many clinics, as well as other organizations, have turned to mega/online retailers to select cleaning supplies. While these outlets can offer convenience, they may lack knowledge, which is most critical in regard to HAIs, whether in humans or animals.