Hospital Acquired Infections in Low and Middle Income Countries: Root Cause Analysis and the Development of Infection Control Practices in Bangladesh

Abstract

Nosocomial or hospital acquired infections are a major challenge for low and middle income countries (LMICs) which have limited healthcare resources. Risk factors include the lack of appropriate hospital facilities such as isolation units, bed space, and sinks; inadequate waste management, contaminated equipment, inappropriate use of antibiotics and transmission of infection from the hands of healthcare workers and family caretakers due to inadequate hand washing. Nosocomial infections increase the costs of healthcare due to added antimicrobial treatment and prolonged hospitalization. Since the prevalence of nosocomial infections is generally higher in developing countries with limited resources, the socio-economic burden is even more severe in these countries. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the risks of hospital acquired infections and summarizes current recommendations for the development of hospital infrastructure and the institution of protocols to reduce these infections in LMICs such as Bangladesh.