<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 can not 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> 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 can not 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>
infections that originate in hospitals are known as
infections that originate in hospitals are known as
hospital - acquired infection
hospital - acquired infection