Technology to reduce infection

Risky Hospitals: Software will help keep germs at bay

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences trauma centre has  launched an indigenously developed electronic system to monitor the spread of infections patients catch in hospitals.

The authorities claim it will go a long way to reduce overuse of antibiotics and hence decrease drug resistance.

The software, Automated Surveillance of Hospital Acquired Infections (ASHAIN), funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) identifies and monitors each indoor patient from the time of admission for development of infections. 

It will guide preventive activities and monitor the rate of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI), based on Centre for Disease Control (CDC)-defined criteria. The creation of the software cost Rs 95,000.

“So far, we have been collecting the data manually. The software will primarily help in analysing the data,” said Dr Purva Mathur, associate professor, laboratory science at teh AIIMS trauma centre who designed the software.

Dr M C Misra, chief of the trauma centre said the software will help in finding the ward, device or person who is responsible for infection, which will make the process of rectification possible immediately.

“The software will be able to bring HAIs under control. Thus, preventive antibiotics won’t be given to patients. This will further help in reducing drug resistance, taking healthcare to a more advanced level. We will also know what drug should be used, if at all,” said Dr V M Katoch, director, ICMR.

Referring to multi-drug resistant bacteria, he said bugs are always there in the environment. Overuse and misuse of antibiotics makes them superbugs.  Dr Mathur said the Trauma Centre has already brought down HAIs to nearly half in the past few years. 

“We have five to six preventive measures called the preventive bundle. It includes alcohol-based hand rub. 

According to necessity, we create these bundles to reduce HAIs,” she said.