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Rate of HAIs in United States declined since 2008
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US hospitals saw significant decreases in health care–associated bloodstream and surgical site infections in 2011, according to a recent CDC report.
As of 2011, there has been an overall 41% reduction in central line–associated bloodstream infections since 2008 and a 17% reduction in surgical site infections. In 2010, the overall reductions were 32% for CLABSIs and 7% for SSIs. Overall, there has been a 7% reduction in catheter-associated urinary tract infections since 2008. This is unchanged from the rate in 2010.
Progress for the prevention of CLABSIs was evident in ICUs, wards and neonatal ICUs and the reduction in surgical site infections was not evident for all procedures. In general wards, there have been small reductions in CAUTIs, but there have been no reductions in critical care locations.
There has been a 7% reduction in catheter–associated urinary tract infections.
“The significant decrease in central line and surgical site infections means that thousands of patients avoid prolonged hospitalizations and the risk of dying in the hospital,” Patrick Conway, MD, chief medical officer for the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a press release. “Providers, working with CDC and CMS, are fulfilling Medicare’s quality measurement reporting requirements for hospital infections and demonstrating that, together, we can dramatically improve the safety and quality of care for patients.”
The report included data that were submitted to the National Health care Safety Network from facilities throughout the country through Sept. 4, 2012. The 9-month period in 2012 allowed for complete reporting of infections through December 2011.
“Reductions in some of the deadliest health care–associated infections are encouraging, especially when you consider the costs to both patients and the health care system,” CDC director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, said in the press release. “This report also suggests that hospitals need to increase their efforts to track these infections and implement control strategies that we know work.”
Thomas Frieden
In 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services established the National Action Plan to Prevent Health care–Associated Infections, setting goals to reduce the number of infections by 2013. The goals are a 50% reduction in CLABSIs, a 25% reduction in surgical site infections and a 25% reduction in CAUTIs.