title: Prevention of Hospital-Acquired Infections.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a persistent concern and include surgical site infections, intravascular line-associated infections, pneumonia, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, and C. difficile infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of the pertinent English-language literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospital-acquired infections result in significant increases in morbidity, mortality rates, and cost and are a focus of efforts at reduction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  I discuss efforts specific to each of the most common infections and a philosophical approach to prevention that strives to achieve zero potentially preventable hospital-acquired infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Washington , Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: E Patchen
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Dellinger
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000517:prevention & control; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000517:prevention & control