Health care-associated infections are exacerbated by alcohol use disorders
Friday, April 15, 2011 - 18:00
in Health & Medicine
Hospital patients with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are at an increased risk of developing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which affect 1.7 million patients annually in the United States. HAIs are infections that patients acquire during their hospitalization and that were not present at the time of admission to the hospital. A new study has found that people with AUDs who develop HAIs have longer hospital stays, thousands of dollars of higher hospital costs, and much greater odds of dying.