Each year, a staggering four million Europeans fall victim to infections contracted during hospital stays, shedding light on a persistent issue plaguing healthcare systems across the EU.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently unveiled findings from its third point prevalence survey (PPS) of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial use in acute care hospitals, conducted between 2022 and 2023.

“Healthcare-associated infections pose a significant challenge to patient safety in hospitals throughout Europe. These recent numbers highlight the urgent need for further actions to mitigate this threat,” said Dr Andrea Ammon, Director of ECDC, during a press conference.

Respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia and COVID-19 contracted in healthcare settings, accounted for nearly one-third of all reported HAIs.

Other prevalent infections included urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, and gastrointestinal infections.

The report also revealed a disturbing trend of increased antimicrobial use compared to previous surveys. In the 2022-2023 PPS, 35.5 percent of patients received at least one antimicrobial agent, up from 32.9 percent in the previous survey.

Of particular concern is the rise in antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms. One in three microorganisms detected in HAIs were resistant to major antibiotics, limiting treatment options for infected patients.

Dr Dominique Monnet, head of the ECDC’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infections Section, emphasised the importance of strengthening infection prevention and control measures.

“Simple actions like hand hygiene can have a big impact,” she said. “Funding is important, but it’s not everything.”

The ECDC stresses that at least 20 percent of HAIs can be prevented by sustained and multifaceted infection prevention and control programmes.

Standardising practices and improving compliance with IPC measures are crucial steps in addressing the variation in implementation observed across European hospitals.