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Nationwide progress seen in preventing hospital infections
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 7, 2012
Hospitals and other health facilities have made strides in reducing rates of health care-associated infections, the Dept. of Health and Human Services reported in April.
The rate of central-line associated bloodstream infections has dropped 33% since 2008, while surgical-site infections declined by 10% and catheter-associated urinary tract infections fell 7%, according to the government’s nationwide progress report (link).
HHS set a five-year action plan to halve bloodstream infections by 2013 and cut UTIs by 25%, among other goals for slashing health care-associated infections. In April, the agency rolled out phase 2 of the plan with recommendations for ambulatory surgical centers and dialysis centers (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2012/05/07/prbf0507.htm.
