Hospital-acquired infections are a prevalent, and sometimes deadly, problem that healthcare leaders continue to try to address, according to Consumer Reports.
Here are six key facts on HAIs:
1. In 2011, nearly 650,000 people developed infections after being admitted to U.S. hospitals.
2. Of those 650,000 patients, 75,000 died from the infections.
3. HAIs rank as the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, following diabetes.
4. Central-line infections comprised almost 5 percent of all HAIs, impacting 27,000 people last year.
5. Central-line infections are the most expensive type of HAI to treat, costing $46,000, on average.
6. To limit the number of HAIs, Consumer Reports advises facilities to:
• Report infection outbreak or infection control breaches immediately to patients, healthcare providers, state and federal agencies and the public
• Conduct inspections regularly to ensure staff members are infection-control compliant
• Have a system in place that allows patients to report infections when they happen
