According to a recent CDC report, in 2022 there was a notable decrease in hospital-associated infections (HAIs) in acute-care hospitals, however, other health care facilities exhibit comparatively stagnant rates. This is the first instance of progress in preventing HAIs since the COVID-19 pandemic, as shown in the National and State Healthcare Associated Infections Progress Report. Notwithstanding, the report points out several areas that necessitate further enhancement. The Successes: The report detailed a reduction in overall rates of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), ventilator-associated events (VAE), hospital onset MRSA bloodstream events, and Clostridioides difficile events at acute care hospitals (ACHs) from 2021 to 2022.
These strides were achieved through the leadership of health care epidemiologists and infection preventionists. However, the report highlights limited progress in decreasing HAIs at critical access hospitals (CAHs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). There were no significant changes in the rates of surgical site infections (SSI) after nine of the ten tracked procedures, with the exception of hip arthroplasty SSIs which increased by 8%. And while every state bettered its rates of at least two types of infection when compared to the 2015 national baseline, three states performed worse.
Nonetheless, the CDC notes that one in every 31 patients at health care facilities and one in 43 nursing home residents contracts an HAI daily. This report reinforces the critical need for continued commitment and investment in effective infection prevention strategies for delivery of safe, high-quality healthcare, as stated by Deborah Yokoe, president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Citing data from the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network, which accumulates and analyzes reports from over 38,000 healthcare facilities in the U.S., researchers calculated national rates for various HAIs, highlighting the interventions and investment required in healthcare to keep pace with the changing dynamics of the infection landscape.