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Pennsylvania hospitals reduce infections
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 24, 2011
Pennsylvania hospital infection rates fell 3.4% in 2010, according to a state Health Department report released in October. The report found a decline of 13.2% in catheter-related urinary tract infections and 24.4% in central line-associated bloodstream infections. Surgical-site infections also fell, though by a lower rate of 1.4% (link).
More than 250 Pennsylvania hospitals submitted data, recording a total of 23,601 health care-associated infections in nearly 10.3 million patient days, for an overall infection rate of 2.29 per 1,000 patient days. The overall infection control improvement from 2009 to 2010 prevented 784 hospital infections.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/10/24/prbf1024.htm.