There were significant reductions in healthcare-associated infections reported at the national level in 2013, according to The National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report published earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.
Here are five key findings from the report at the national level:
• Central line-associated bloodstream infections decreased by 46 percent between 2008 and 2013.
• Surgical site infections related to the 10 select procedures tracked in the report decreased by 19 percent between 2008 and 2013.
• Hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia decreased by 8 percent between 2011 and 2013.
• Hospital-onset Clostridium difficile infections decreased by 10 percent between 2011 and 2013.
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections increased by 6 percent between 2009 and 2013; although initial 2014 data seem to indicate that these infections have started to decrease.