The concept of vulnerability applied to Healthcare-associated Infections

• Published in: Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem Vol. 72; no. 1; pp. 299 - 303
• Main Authors: Padoveze, Maria Clara, Juskevicius, Luize Fábrega, Santos, Talita Raquel Dos, Nichiata, Lúcia Izumi, Ciosak, Suely Itsuko, Bertolozzi, Maria Rita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Associação Brasileira de Enfermagem 01-01-2019
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Contagious Disease; Disease prevention; Epidemiology; Health care; HIV; Hospital-Acquired Infection; Human immunodeficiency virus; Infectious Disease; Nosocomial infections; Nursing; Vulnerability; Brazil
• ISSN: 0034-7167; 1984-0446; 1984-0446
• DOI: 10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0584

To discuss the potentialities of using the concept of vulnerability to support measures for preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
This theoretical study was conducted in steps: 1) presentation of markers that frame the concept of vulnerability; 2) presentation of the characteristics of the health events to which the concept of vulnerability is intended to be applied; 3) identification of research gaps that could be potentially filled by using the concept of vulnerability; 4) identification of the potentialities of using the concept of vulnerability to deal with HAIs.
Proposal of a framework for analyzing HAIs from a vulnerability perspective, including the individual and collective dimensions.
Using the concept of vulnerability to study and deal with HAIs favors a new approach to an old problem, unlike the dominant studies that highlight the individual aspects of the practices in healthcare services.