Infections linked to medical treatment are a universal problem, and impose a heavy burden on patients and their families: loss of livelihood, reduced revenue,        permanent health problems, and death.

The World Health Organization (WHO 2006) Findings on Nosocomial Infections

Amongst patients of all ages, N.I.’s are one of the main causes of death. On any given day, 1.4 million people worldwide are infected while undergoing medical procedures. Consequently, hundreds of millions of people worldwide get infected every year.        In developed countries, 5% to 10% of emergency ward patients contract a Nosocomial infection, and the rate jumps to 25% in even the best-equipped intensive care units. In some developing countries, the picture is much worse as 66% of intensive care patients contract infections. The death rate can reach 25%

Elderly patients are hardly the only ones at risk. The infection rate for patients of all ages is 14% in the USA, between 9% and 19% in Europe, and 30% in Brazil.

The Situation in Quebec

Quebec has failed to implement an effective surveillance and prevention plan. Consequently, the true nosocomial infection rate is unknown. A national study conducted in February 2002 established the rate at 9.8% throughout Canada. In other words, nearly one out of ten Canadian patients (10%) contracts an infection. Nation-wide there are 80,000 to 90,000 victims per year for whom the death rate is 5%. That means that roughly four thousand people per year die because of N.I.’s. By comparison, automobile accidents account for 600 deaths and breast cancer for 1,450 deaths. Between 2003 and 2005, the C. Difficile epidemic struck 14,000 people resulting in 2,000 deaths. Every month, there are between 350 and 600 now cases of SARM inceections (Methicillin resistant staphylococcus), resulting in 4,200 and 7,200 new cases on a yearly basis.

The Situation Outside Canada:

three studies

The United States (population 295 million): According to the Disease Control Center in Atlanta, Georgia, the incidence of N.I.’s is 5% nation-wide, which translates into two million victims and one hundred thousand deaths on a yearly basis. In fact, nosocomial infections cause as many deaths as AIDS, breast cancer, and traffic accidents combined. In 2004, a study conducted in Pennsylvania (population: 11 million) using Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance company data, revealed that 115,631 acute care patients out of 1,562,000 admitted by 173 hospitals contracted a nosocomial infection. The infection rate is 7.4%. Nosocomial infections prolong hospital stays from 15 to 20 days. Overall, the death rate is 15.4% but rises sharply to 25.6% for blood infections and 31.9% for respiratory infections.

France (population: 62 million): A study carried out in 830 health care establishments and involving 236,334 patients revealed an infection rate of 6.8% Nationally, that translates into 800,000 cases resulting in 8,000 deaths.

Switzerland (population 7.4 million): According to a study by Swiss- Noso in 2005, the national infection rate is 7.2%, which translates into 70,000 cases. The death rate was not specified.