Hospital-acquired condition

A Hospital-acquired condition (HAC) (pronunciation: /ˈhɒspɪtəl əˈkwaɪəd kənˈdɪʃən/), also known as a nosocomial infection (pronunciation: /ˌnɒsəˈkoʊmiəl ɪnˈfɛkʃən/), is a medical condition or infection that patients acquire during their stay in a hospital or other healthcare facility.

Etymology

The term "nosocomial" comes from two Greek words: "nosus" meaning "disease" and "komeion" meaning "to take care of". Hence, "nosocomial" should apply to any disease contracted by a patient while under medical care. However, common usage of the term "nosocomial" is now synonymous with hospital-acquired.

Related Terms

Healthcare-associated infection (HAI): This is a broader term that includes infections acquired in healthcare settings other than hospitals, such as nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and outpatient clinics.

Patient safety: This is a healthcare discipline that emphasizes the reporting, analysis, and prevention of medical errors that often lead to adverse healthcare events, including hospital-acquired conditions.

Infection control: This is the discipline concerned with preventing healthcare-associated infections; it is an essential part of healthcare infrastructure.

Antimicrobial resistance: This is the ability of a microbe to resist the effects of medication that once could successfully treat the microbe. Hospital-acquired conditions often involve drug-resistant bacteria.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Hospital-acquired condition
Wikipedia's article - Hospital-acquired condition

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Hospital-acquired condition