“Septicaemia is a potentially life-threatening infection in which large amounts of bacteria poison the blood. In Achla’s case, the wounds, which would have healed in 8 to 10 days, took a month to mend,” says her physician, Dr Vikram Sabharwal.

The problem is quite grave, agrees Dr Arvind Taneja, director of paediatric services, Max Health Care, Delhi. “Almost 50 per cent of those admitted to intensive care units get such infections in one form or the other. From the pre-operative period till discharge, patients can catch a number of HAIs like ventilator-associated pneumonia, septicaemia, urinary tract infection, hospital-acquired pneumonia and gastroenteritis.”

Patients usually contract the infections from invasive devices like incubation tubes, catheters, surgical drains and tracheostomy tubes (a small tube designed to be directly placed into a patient’s windpipe through the neck). “All these bypass the body’s natural lines of defence against pathogens and lead to infection,” says Dr Taneja.

Excessive use of antibiotics is another practice that has triggered the number of HAI cases. According to Dr Arvind Bountra, senior consultant paediatrician, GM Modi Hospital, doctors must not use antibiotics and the patients should not insist on them unless they are essential. “Antibiotics cannot distinguish between good and bad bacteria. They impair an individual’s immune system, making him or her susceptible to HAI,” he says. 

Though the figures are alarming, the WHO study suggested that “more than 50 per cent of these infections can be prevented if sufficient data about their risk factors are available and relevant preventive measures are adopted”. The report recommends “washing hands as one of the vital tools, which can help prevent the spread”. “It is essential to reduce the risks of transmitting microorganisms from one person to another or from one site to another on the same patient. Doctors, the para-medical staff or the attendants must wash hands as promptly and thoroughly as possible. Gloves also play an important role in preventing the transmission,” the study says. Adds Dr Taneja, “Patients must not insist on a prolonged stay at the hospital. Controlling the use of antibiotics can also help.”