CDC: Hospitals preventing infections; antibiotic resistance ongoing challenge
Acute-care hospitals reduced central-line associated bloodstream infections by 50% and surgical site infections by 17% between 2008 and 2014, according to a Vital Signs released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among other improvements, methicillin-resistant staph infections fell by 13% and C difficile infections fell by 8% between 2011 and 2014, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections fell by 5% in 2014. In 2014, the proportion of healthcare-associated infections caused by six antibiotic-resistant bacteria ranged from 12% in inpatient rehabilitation facilities to 14% in acute-care hospitals and 29% in long-term care hospitals. The findings are based on data from the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network and 2016 . CDC also released an , which shows the proportion of bacteria resistant to various antibiotics in acute-care and long-term care hospitals and IRFs nationally and by state and region. One way hospitals are addressing antibiotic-resistant infections is through Antibiotic Stewardship Programs. For more information, see today’s AHASTAT .