Correlation between Antimicrobial Resistance and Nosocomial Infections, their Prevention and Control: Review

Nosocomial infections (NI) are infections acquired by a patient during hospital stay. They cause a surge in morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospital stay and increased health care costs and also increase antibiotic use, leading to the development of antimicrobial resistance in the hospital. Nosocomial microorganisms are transmitted from person to person, environment and contaminated healthcare personnel. Nosocomial infections are the important preventable cause of morbidity and mortality. Approximately one-third of these infections can be prevented by sticking to established infection control guidelines. Nosocomial infections can be controlled by the coordination among healthcare professionals in formulating, implementing and with compliance towards policies related to the prevention and control of infections and the use of antibiotics.