AUTOPSY OF HEALTHCARE-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS IN FRANCE

Abstract

The fight against healthcare-associated infections (HAI)
and surgical site infections (SSI) has been a public health
priority in France for over 30 years.
The few estimations of their consequences show that there
may be 9000 deaths annually following a healthcare-associated infection, of which 4200 were not life-threatening
short term. Each year in France we can estimate the number
of HAI at 750,000 for 15 million hospitalisations. The
extra cost of these HAI represents an annual expenditure
estimated between 2.4 and 6 billion euros. Recent studies
of incidence or prevalence show an increase in HAI and
SSI. Controlling these infections must remain a national
priority, and preventive action must be part of the patient’s
whole healthcare pathway.