Why it is important to study Clinical Issue on Hospital Acquired Infections Development of a PICO(T) question Based on Hospital Acquired Infections

Why it is important to study Clinical Issue on Hospital Acquired Infections

Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI) are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment in a healthcare setting, such as a hospital. HAIs are a serious global public health problem and are a leading cause of death and illness. Each year, more than 2 million people in the United States develop HAIs, and about 100,000 of them die. The most common types of HAI are respiratory tract infections (such as pneumonia), urinary tract infections, and bloodstream infections (sepsis). Healthcare-associated gastrointestinal infections account for about one-third of all HAIs (Munoz-Figueroa & Ojo, 2018). There are many ways to prevent HAIs, including good hand hygiene practices, using medications properly, and safely caring for patients. Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the United States, HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year. CDC estimates that on any given day, about one in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection.

Development of a PICO(T) question Based on Hospital Acquired Infections

It is important to develop a PICO(T) question based on hospital acquired infections because it will help to focus the research and determine an answer. The first step in developing a PICO(T) question is to identify the key concepts that will be explored. In this case, we are looking at hospital acquired infections. The next step is to narrow these concepts down into more specific variables that can be measured. For example, we might want to look at the rate of hospital acquired infections in different types of hospitals, or the types of infection most commonly seen in hospitals. Once we have chosen our variables, we can begin to formulate our question. A PICO(T) question asking about the development of Hospital Acquired Infections might look like this: What is the incidence of hospital-acquired infections among different types of hospitals? What are the most common types of the hospital acquired infections? In this case, the population of interest would be hospital patients who acquire infections while hospitalized. The intervention would be any measure or action taken to prevent or treat hospital acquired infections (e.g., hand hygiene protocols, antibiotics).

PICOT Question

There are several ways to prevent Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs). One of the most important is hand hygiene. Hand hygiene includes both washing hands with soap and water and using alcohol-based hand rubs. Both soap and water and alcohol-based hand rubs are effective at killing bacteria and viruses. However, alcohol-based hand rubs are more convenient and can be used more quickly than washing hands with soap and water. For this reason, many healthcare facilities promote the use of alcohol-based hand rubs over traditional hand washing (Lim et al., 2018). However, there are certain situations where it is still best to wash hands with soap and water. This includes when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with body fluids. The master’s prepared nurse must be aware of the need of teaching hand hygiene to healthcare professionals since doing so will help patients experience fewer healthcare-associated illnesses. HAIs are preventable damage that have an impact on patient safety and treatment not just in the United States but also internationally.

Research Databases

The best healthcare databases are PubMed, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, JBI EBP Database, and Nursing Reference Center. Each database has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, PubMed is the best database for finding articles from medical journals, while CINAHL Plus with Full Text is the best database for finding articles from nursing journals. If one is not sure which database to use, they should start with PubMed. It is the most comprehensive healthcare database and it covers a wide range of topics. Healthcare databases are important in the research process because they allow researchers to study the health of large populations. This is important because it allows researchers to identify trends and correlations that may not be evident when studying smaller populations. Healthcare databases also contain a wealth of information on patient demographics, health history, and treatment outcomes. This information can be used to improve our understanding of how different treatments work and to develop new treatments for diseases. Finally, healthcare databases can be used to assess the value of different medical treatments. This is important because it allows us to make informed decisions about which treatments provide the most value for our healthcare system.

Relevant Peer-reviewed Articles For The PICOT Question