Kidney Function and Hospital-Acquired Infections: Worth a Deeper Look

Hospital-acquired infections impose a tremendous health care burden in increased length of hospitalization, morbidity, and mortality, as well as consumption of resources, with some estimates suggesting an annual cost to the United States and Europe of $28 to $45 billion and €7 billion, respectively.1,2 Given that hospital-acquired infections are frequently preventable, identifying strategies to reduce them, particularly in those at highest risk, is of critical importance. Appropriately, hospital-acquired infections are not only of interest in individual patient care, but are also a focus of health care systems and government oversight; surveillance and reporting of hospital-acquired infections has become the standard in health care facilities in the developed world.