Statement:

House Vote to Pass the Budget Resolution

CDC Progress Report Shows HAI Improvement

November 4, 2019
Emily Schweich

Health care–associated infections (HAIs) have decreased at acute-care hospitals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s annual HAI progress report.

Using 2017–2018 data from the National Healthcare Safety Network, the progress report provides state-specific summaries for inpatient rehabilitation facilities, acute-care hospitals, long-term acute-care hospitals, and critical-access hospitals. For the first time, progress report data are available through the CDC’s new Antibiotic Resistance & Patient Safety Portal, which includes data visualizations.

The report shows:

  • a 9 percent decrease in central line–associated bloodstream infections;
  • an 8 percent decrease in catheter-associated urinary tract infections; and
  • a 12 percent decrease in hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infections.

There were no significant changes in the number of ventilator-associated events, surgical site infections related to the 10 procedures tracked in the report, or hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections.

Contact Senior Director of Policy Erin O’Malley at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with questions.

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