Nosocomial

An infection or a disease is described as nosocomial if it is absent when the patient is admitted to hospital and presents and develops at least 48 hours after the patient is admitted. In terms of surgical operations, a nosocomial infection is considered to be one that develops within 30 days of surgery or within a year after inserting an implant or prosthesis.

The term nosocomial comes from Greek nosos, a disease and komein, to care.