Which statement best defines a nosocomial infection in a hospital setting?

• A. An infection caused by nonpathogenic bacteria
• B. An infection that occurs after discharge
• C. An infection acquired in a hospital or healthcare facility
• D. An infection contracted from a family member

Answer: (C)

Nosocomial infection means an infection a patient picks up while being treated in a hospital or healthcare facility. The key idea is that the infection originates in the care setting, not from something the patient had before admission or from a family member. That makes the statement about being acquired in a hospital the best description. The other options don’t fit: nonpathogenic bacteria wouldn’t cause an infection, an infection after discharge describes timing rather than where it was acquired, and a family-member source describes a non-hospital, community source.