Healthcare-associated Infections (HAI) Progress Report

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major, yet often preventable, threat to patient safety. TheNational and State Healthcare-Associated Infections Progress Report expands and provides an update on previous reports detailing progress toward the ultimate goal of eliminating HAIs. Infection data in this report includes central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), select surgical site infections (SSI), hospital-onset Clostridium difficileinfections (C. difficile), and hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia (bloodstream infections).

HAI Progress Report

[PDF - 26 MB]

3/23/15: Updated Executive Summary and State Progress Landscape. See report or below for details.

Learn more: HAI prevention activities map

The HAI Progress Report describes significant reductions reported at the national level in 2013 for nearly all infections. CLABSI and SSI show the greatest reduction, with some progress shown in reducing hospital-onset MRSA bacteremia and hospital-onset C. difficile infections. The Report shows an increase in CAUTI, signaling a strong need for additional prevention efforts.

The HAI Progress Report consists of national and state-by-state summaries of healthcare-associated infections. On the national level, the report found:

A 46 percent decrease in CLABSI between 2008 and 2013
A 19 percent decrease in SSIs related to the 10 select procedures tracked in the report between 2008 and 2013
A 6 percent increase in CAUTI between 2009 and 2013; although initial data from 2014 seem to indicate that these infections have started to decrease
An 8 percent decrease in hospital-onset MRSA bacteremia between 2011 and 2013
A 10 percent decrease in hospital-onset C. difficile infections between 2011 and 2013

CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) provided data for this report. More than 14,500 hospitals and other healthcare facilities provide data to NHSN. CDC, states, healthcare facilities, and other patient safety organizations use this data to identify problem areas, measure progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate HAIs. In addition, the Report helps measure progress toward the five-year HAI prevention goals outlined in the National Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections: Road Map to Elimination (HAI Action Plan

) set in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Progress is measured using the standardized infection ratio (SIR), a summary statistic used to track HAI prevention progress over time. Despite progress, the nation did not reach the 2013 goals. More action is needed at every level of public health and health care to improve patient safety and eliminate infections that commonly threaten hospital patients.

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