Factores asociados al desarrollo de infecciones nosocomiales en la población adulta mayor

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections play a significant role in healthcare systems worldwide. This growing problem contributes to increased mortality rates due to the complications they generate in hospitalized patients. The most affected is the elderly population, who, in general, are exposed to host factors, the environment, and different pathogenic agents that increase their vulnerability, making them an object of study so that they can be preventable and, to a certain extent, modifiable. An explanatory, descriptive, crosssectional cohort literature review was conducted based on information obtained from 34 sources retrieved from databases such as UPDATE, ScieELO, SCOPUS, Redalyc, PubMed, Taylor & Francis, NCBI, in Spanish, English, Italian, French, and Portuguese. The most common NIs were surgical site, respiratory associated with ventilation, venous catheter use, and urinary related to medical devices. Bacteria K. pneumonia, H. influenzae, S. Aureus, and S. pneumonia are some of the best-known pathogens. The factors that develop this condition are included in the elements of the epidemiological chain, among them the host who presents intrinsic factors that includ immunological status, comorbidities, and extrinsic factors such as the use of devices, prosthetic material, and exposure time to processes. The microbial agent and its resistance to antibiotics and environmental conditions involve deficient hand washing, reservoirs, and routes of bacterial transmission.