Health Care-Associated Infection Rates Dropped in 2010, CDC Reports

A new CDC report found that the rate of health care-associated infections declined in 2010, which a federal official attributed to national and state prevention efforts, Reuters reports (Beasley, Reuters, 4/19).

For the report, CDC analyzed data from the National Healthcare Safety Network infection monitoring system (McKinney, Modern Physician, 4/19).

The report found that:

• Central line-associated bloodstream infection rates declined by 32%;
• Surgical-site infection rates declined by 8%; and
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infection rates dropped by 6% (Walsh, MedPage Today, 4/19).

Scott Fridkin -- deputy chief of the surveillance branch in the CDC's division of health care quality promotion -- credited national and state prevention efforts with helping to reduce the rates of HAIs (Reuters, 4/19).

For example, an increasing number of states have required acute care hospitals to report CLABSIs and SSIs to the NHSN since it launched in 2005. Between 2009 and 2010, there was a 50% increase in the number of hospitals reporting data on CLABSIs (MedPage Today, 4/19).

CDC Expresses Concern Over State Disparities; HHS Releases Action Plan

CDC officials expressed concern over the wide variation the report found among states' success in infection prevention.

CDC Director Thomas Frieden said, "We need a comprehensive approach for tackling infections in the nation's health care facilities, as patients can seek care from a variety of locations and move between health care facilities" (Modern Physician, 4/19).

Meanwhile, HHS on Thursday released a nine-point action plan aimed at further reducing the rate of HAIs, CQ HealthBeat reports. The plan calls for another 50% reduction in CLABSIs and a 25% decline in UTIs and SSIs. The plan will be published in the Federal Register next week and will be available for public comment (CQ HealthBeat, 4/19).

HHS Says Health IT Key To Preventing HAIs

HHS' action plan emphasizes the role of health information technology in effectively monitoring HAIs, Modern Healthcare reports.

The plan states, "Advances in IT, harmonization of disparate data standards, incentive programs designed to promote the meaningful use of electronic health records and capabilities to connect with and integrate multiple data types and sources all provide opportunities to enhance national capacity to monitor, measure and prevent the occurrence of HAIs."

The plan notes that interoperability, integration, decision support and standardized definitions and values are necessary to monitor HAIs (McKinney, Modern Healthcare, 4/19).