A bloodstream infection (popularly known as “blood poisoning”) occurs when a microorganism (such as a bacterium, virus or parasite) enters the blood from another part of the body, such as the skin, bladder or lungs. This is dangerous, because if such a microorganism enters the bloodstream, it can be spread over the whole body, along with the harmful products that it produces.

Bloodstream infections that occur during a patient’s stay in hospital are referred to as hospital-associated bloodstream infections.

Bloodstream infections mainly occur in older and already weakened patients. Weakened patients include patients with an impaired immune system and patients already suffering from other serious illnesses, such as cancer patients.

A bloodstream infection can quickly lead to death and must be treated in hospital. If the bloodstream infection is not treated, it can lead to sepsis (also known as general blood poisoning) resulting in the failure of the function of the organs (such as kidney, liver, heart).

Hospital-associated bloodstream infections can aggravate the disease for which the patient was originally hospitalized and increase the risk of death. Hospital-associated bloodstream infections also represent a significant increase in medical costs, as additional diagnostic tests and specific treatments have to be carried out.

Many hospital-associated bloodstream infections, especially those associated with invasive devices (such as a catheter in the urinary tract or a blood vessel or a tube in the lung) can be prevented by following internationally recognized preventive measures. One of these measures is, for example, the application of strict hand hygiene when caring for the patient and during the placement, care and removal of invasive devices.

If you wish to participate in the surveillance of bloodstream infections as a healthcare institution, you can find more information on the project page.