Nationwide, hospitals have made substantial progress in reducing some healthcare-associated infections the past few years, and 26 states performed better than the nation on at least two infection types, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
The CDC tracks data on central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infections and hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections at acute care hospitals.
Progress made is measured using the standardized infection ratio, a summary statistic that is used to track HAI prevention progress over time measured by observed to expected infection rates. Compared to the nation's SIR, 26 states performed better than the nation on at least two infection types, 16 performed better on at least three and six states performed better on a least four.
Nineteen states, however, are performing worse than the national SIR on at least two infection types and eight states are performing worse on at least three HAIs.
Listed below is the number of states performing better than the nation by infection type:
- CLABSI – 16 states
- SSI, colon surgery – nine states
- SSI, abdominal hysterectomy – eight states
- CAUTI – 19 states
- MRSA – 19 states
- C. diff. infections – 21 states
The number of states performing worse than the nation by infection type:
- CLABSI – 14 states
- SSI, colon surgery – 13 states
- SSI, abdominal hysterectomy – three states
- CAUTI – 17 states
- MRSA – 12 states
- C. diff. infections – 18 states
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