Hospital Infection Rates Falling

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the rates of many types of hospital-acquired infections are on the decline. The researchers found a 46% decline in “central line-associated” bloodstream infections, a 19% decrease in surgical site infections, an 8% drop in multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, and a 10% fall in C. difficile infections during the previous five years. Despite the findings, the CDC states that more work is needed to protect patients. CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden writes, “[The] key is for every hospital to have rigorous infection-control programs to protect patients and health care workers, and for health care facilities and others to work together to reduce the many types of infections that haven’t decreased enough.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2015