From 2009 to 2013, the nation saw a 6 percent increase in catheter-associated central line infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and some states have seen less improvement than others in this area.
In fact, 17 states had higher rates of CAUTIs than the national baseline in 2013, according to the CDC's National and State Healthcare-associated Infection Progress Report, summarizing data submitted to the agency's National Healthcare Safety Network.
State progress on CAUTI prevention was measured using the standardized infection ratio, or observed to expected infection rates. The following 17 states, listed in alphabetical order, had a significantly higher SIRs than the 2013 national SIR:
- Connecticut — 65 percent higher compared to national baseline
- Delaware — 30 percent higher
- Georgia — 36 percent higher
- Indiana — 23 percent higher
- Kentucky — 21 percent higher
- Maine — 72 percent higher
- Maryland — 38 percent higher
- Massachusetts — 58 percent higher
- Michigan — 25 percent higher
- Minnesota — 26 percent higher
- New York — 26 percent higher
- North Carolina — 14 percent higher
- Rhode Island — 27 percent higher
- South Carolina — 28 percent higher
- Tennessee — 24 percent higher
- Utah — 64 percent higher
- Washington, D.C. — 30 percent higher
While these 17 states had higher SIRs than the national baseline, meaning they had more CAUTIs than would be expected, 19 states did perform better than the nation on CAUTIs.