<Tr> <Th> eMedicine </Th> <Td> article / 967022 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> (edit on Wikidata) </Td> </Tr> <P> A hospital - acquired infection (HAI), also known as a nosocomial infection, is an infection that is acquired in a hospital or other health care facility . To emphasize both hospital and nonhospital settings, it is sometimes instead called a health care--associated infection (HAI or HCAI). Such an infection can be acquired in hospital, nursing home, rehabilitation facility, outpatient clinic, or other clinical settings . Infection is spread to the susceptible patient in the clinical setting by various means . Health care staff can spread infection, in addition to contaminated equipment, bed linens, or air droplets . The infection can originate from the outside environment, another infected patient, staff that may be infected, or in some cases, the source of the infection cannot be determined . In some cases the microorganism originates from the patient's own skin microbiota, becoming opportunistic after surgery or other procedures that compromise the protective skin barrier . Though the patient may have contracted the infection from their own skin, the infection is still considered nosocomial since it develops in the health care setting . </P> <P> In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated roughly 1.7 million hospital - associated infections, from all types of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi combined, cause or contribute to 99,000 deaths each year . In Europe, where hospital surveys have been conducted, the category of gram - negative infections are estimated to account for two - thirds of the 25,000 deaths each year . Nosocomial infections can cause severe pneumonia and infections of the urinary tract, bloodstream and other parts of the body . Many types are difficult to treat with antibiotics . In addition, antibiotic resistance can complicate treatment . </P>

Infections that originate in hospitals are known as