Hospital-acquired infections: one death every three seconds worldwide from sepsis. Experts: "A cross-cutting challenge."

In Italy, every year, between 500,000 and 700,000 patients contract an infection during hospitalization (5-8% of the total), with serious consequences in terms of complications (including sepsis), increased mortality, longer hospital stays, and rising healthcare costs. To address this problem, starting August 31, Italian hospitals may only use medicinal products for disinfection (antisepsis) of intact skin before medical procedures, a cornerstone of healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevention. This change was introduced by the Ministry of Health's Directorial Decree of March 29, 2023, which, in implementation of the European Regulation on Biocidal Products (No. 528/2012), ordered the revocation of authorizations for medical-surgical devices, with the aim of strengthening patient safety. "The decree marks a step forward for patient safety, introducing traceability and more rigorous controls on antisepsis products. The challenge now is to ensure a sustainable transition for the healthcare system," commented Massimo Sartelli, president of the Italian Multidisciplinary Society for Infection Prevention in Healthcare Organizations (Simpios).

Sepsis is one of the most serious complications of hospital-acquired infections, with approximately 50,000 cases per year in Italy and an estimated mortality rate of 3-8% . "Every medical-surgical visit must always be preceded by thorough disinfection of the 'entrance point' to avoid contamination of the medical device," adds Sartelli. "Chlorhexidine is a safe and effective molecule, a cornerstone of antisepsis for decades. In this era of reduced availability of medicinal products based on 2% chlorhexidine in an alcohol solution, considered the gold standard, clinical choices must be based on scientific evidence demonstrating that even chlorhexidine alcohol solutions with concentrations lower than 2% are an effective and safe alternative for specific settings and patient risk profiles."

The National Institute for Infectious Diseases 'Lazzaro Spallanzani' IRCCS in Rome is again participating in World Sepsis Day (September 13), renewing its commitment to the fight against sepsis. This day, promoted by the Global Sepsis Alliance (GSA), the INMI recalls, aims to raise public and institutional awareness of one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Sepsis , a serious clinical syndrome caused by the body's dysfunctional response to an infection , affects 48.9 million people worldwide each year, and with over 11 million deaths (approximately 1 person every 3 seconds), it represents 20% of global mortality. The Global Sepsis Agenda 2030 aims to prevent 12 million new cases and save 2 million lives over the next 5 years.