Rates of infection in hospitals dropped in 2023, according to an annual report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The report, which measures national and state infection rates across 38,000 acute care hospitals, critical access hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities and long-term acute care hospitals, showed a continuing decline in infections following high rates set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The report measured rates for central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated event infections, surgical site infections, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections and clostridioides difficile infections.
In 2020 and 2021, infection rates worsened in part due to staffing issues and a consequent lack of infection control employees caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the latest results, the agency said there is still room for improvement.
"While much progress has been made, more needs to be done to prevent healthcare-associated infections in a variety of settings," the agency said in the report. "Full engagement between local, state and federal public health agencies and their partners in the healthcare sector through initiatives such as prevention collaboratives is vital to sustaining and extending HAI surveillance and prevention progress."
The CDC did not respond to a request for comment on the report or recommended next steps.
Here are how infection rates changed across different care settings between 2022 and 2023.
Acute care hospitals:
- 15% decrease in central line-associated bloodstream infections
- 11% decrease in catheter-associated urinary tract infections
- 5% decrease ventilator-associated event infections
- 16% decrease in methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections
- 13% decrease in clostridioides difficile infections
Rates for catheter-associated urinary tract infections, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections and clostridioides difficile infections were lower than 2019 pre-pandemic rates, the report said.
Long-term acute care hospitals:
- No change in central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated event infections and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections
- 13% decrease in clostridioides difficile infections
Inpatient rehabilitation facilities:
- No change in central line-associated bloodstream infections and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus infections
- 8% increase in catheter-associated urinary tract infections
- 14% decrease in clostridioides difficile infections
