News: CAUTI, CLABSI, c. diff rates decline from 2016 to 2017

Acute care hospitals reduced clostridium difficile (c. diff) infections by 13%, central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) by 9%, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) by 5% in 2017, according to the latest progress report on reducing healthcare-associated infections from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Additionally, hospitals reduced methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections by 8% and ventilator-associated events (VAE) by 3% in 2017, according to AHA News.

According to the report, 22 states performed better in 2017 on at least two infection types than they did in 2016 and only one state performed worse on two infection types. When compared with the 2015 baseline, acute care hospitals in

• 44 states improved their c. diff rate,
• 37 states improved their CLABSI rate,
• 27 states improved their CAUTI rate,
• 24 states improved their MRSA bacteremia rate,
• 18 states improved their VAE rate,
• 6 states improved their surgical site infection (SSI) rate for abdominal hysterectomy, and
• 3 states improved their SSI rate for colon surgery.

In contrast, when compared with the 2015 baseline, acute care hospitals in

• 17 states worsened their VAE rate,
• 5 states worsened their SSI rate for colon surgery,
• 4 states worsened their CAUTI rate,
• 1 state worsened their CLABSI rate,
• 1 state worsened their MRSA bacteremia rate, and
• 1 state their c. diff rate.

Each day, approximately one in 31 U.S. patients contracts at least one infection in association with his or her hospital care, according to the report, underscoring the need for improvements in patient care practices in U.S. healthcare facilities. Though there has been progress, more needs to be done to prevent these infections, according to the CDC report.

Editor’s note: To read the full report from the CDC, click here. To read AHA News’ coverage of this story, click here. To read more about CDI specialists’ relationship to improved patient care, listen to this episode of ACDIS Radio.