Report: Healthcare-associated infections continue to decline

Acute-care hospitals reduced Clostridium difficile infections by 18%, catheter-associated urinary tract infections by 8% and central line-associated bloodstream infections by 7% in 2019, according to the latest progress report on reducing healthcare-associated infections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust affiliate has worked with CDC to reduce CLABSI, CAUTI, C difficile and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections in targeted acute-care hospitals, and is currently collaborating with the CDC to continue to drive CDI prevention.

HRET is working with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Comprehensive Unit Based Safety Program to prevent CLABSI and CAUTI infections in ICUs, and worked with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Hospital Improvement Innovation Networks to reduce hospital-acquired conditions.