Which of the following best defines a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) and correctly captures its clinical significance in the United States?

• A. An infection that exclusively originates from the community but is treated within a hospital and is considered a major cause of death worldwide but not among the top 10 causes within the USA according to current statistics.
• B. An infection acquired by a patient while receiving care in a hospital or healthcare setting; roughly 1 in 31 hospitalized patients are affected (~3%), and HAIs are among the top 10 causes of death in the USA.
• C. An infection limited to surgical wounds occurring in hospitals that affects more than 10% of all admitted patients and is therefore the single leading cause of death nationally, demanding nationwide mandatory closure of elective surgeries.
• D. An infection present on admission to a hospital that becomes more severe during hospitalization and contributes only minimally to overall national mortality statistics because it affects under 1% of hospitalized patients.

Answer: (B)