Which of the following is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections?

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Hospital-acquired infections are infections that patients pick up during a hospital stay, and some organisms are especially common in that setting. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a classic example because it thrives in the moist environments found in hospitals—think sinks, humidifiers, and ventilator circuits—and it tends to infect already ill or immunocompromised patients. Its ability to form biofilms and resist multiple antibiotics makes Pseudomonas a frequent cause of sepsis in hospitalized patients, particularly in the ICU or among those with devices.

Clostridioides difficile colitis is indeed a common HAI and often linked to prior antibiotic use, but it more typically presents as diarrhea rather than sepsis. MRSA infections are also important and common in hospitals, especially skin and soft tissue infections or pneumonia, but across many hospital settings Pseudomonas sepsis is frequently highlighted as a leading HAI concern. Strep throat is usually acquired outside hospital settings and is not a hallmark hospital-acquired infection.