Connecticut State Department of Public Health

The Federal Government has reopened COVIDtests.gov. Every household can order four over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for free. These tests are intended for use throughout the 2024 holiday season to detect currently circulating COVID-19 variants. Please visit COVIDtests.gov for your free test.

Types of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs)

 
 
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs)Urinary Tract
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection in any part of the urinary system, including the urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys. These infections are often associated with the insertion of a urinary catheter into a patient. A urinary catheter is a tube inserted into the bladder through the urethra to drain urine. These urinary catheters are commonly used during and after surgery. A catheter can pick up bacteria when it is inserted into the patient and give the bacteria an easy path into the bladder, causing infection. 
  

To learn more about CAUTIs, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) website: https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/ca_uti/uti.html.  

 
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs)
A central line is a tube that is put in a large blood vessel in a patient’s chest, arm, neck or groin.  In newborns, it can go in the navel. The end of the tube is placed near the patient’s heart. Central lines are used to give fluids, measure the amount of fluid in the body, or give medicine. If a central line is inserted incorrectly, or not cared for correctly, bacteria can get into the tube and enter the blood, causing an infection. CLABSIs are serious infections that can increase the patient’s stay in the hospital, increase the cost of medical care, and even cause death.

To learn more about CLABSIs, visit the CDC's website: https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/bsi/bsi.html. 

 
Hospital-onset (HO) Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia
MRSA is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. MRSA bacteremia is the presence of MRSA in the blood, which can cause a serious infection. Hospital-onset means that the MRSA bacteremia occurred after admission to the hospital. In the hospital setting, MRSA can be spread by the contaminated hands of healthcare providers, by inserting contaminated devices into a patient's body, or by coming into contact with an infected wound.
 
To learn more about MRSA in healthcare settings and the community, visit the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/mrsa/ or the Connecticut Department of Public Health's webpage: https://portal.ct.gov/DPH/Infectious-Diseases/EEI/Methicillinresistant-Staphylococcus-aureus-MRSA.


Surgical Site Infections (SSIs)
A surgical site infection (SSI) is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. Having surgery can increase a patient’s risk of getting an infection by giving bacteria a pathway into normally sterile areas of the body. Surgical site infections can involve the skin only (superficial), or be more serious and involve tissues under the skin, organs, or implanted material.

To learn more about SSIs, visit the CDC's website: https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/ssi/faq_ssi.html. 


Ventilator-associated Pneumonia (lung infection)

When a patient needs help to breathe, a machine may need to be used. A tube, known as an endotracheal tube, is placed into the throat. The tube is then attached to a breathing machine called a ventilator. It is possible for bacteria and other germs to get into the lungs. When the germs begin to grow, an infection can develop that can give the patient pneumonia. These lung infections are known as ventilator-associated pneumonias.

 

To learn more ventilator-associated pneumonias, visit the CDC's website: https://www.cdc.gov/HAI/vap/vap.html. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To contact the Healthcare Associated Infections Program, please call 860-509-7995.