CDC: Healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals declined last year

Newly released CDC data shows that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in U.S. hospitals fell last year (Source: “CDC: US hospitals saw declines in healthcare-associated infections last year,” CIDRAP News Brief, Nov. 7).
 
The 2023 National and State HAI Progress Report, based on data from 38,000 hospitals and rehabilitation centers, shows overall declines in HAIs compared with 2022. The declines, primarily seen in acute-care hospitals, reflect a continuing downward trend in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some HAIs falling below pre-pandemic levels.
 
Previous CDC reports showed that HAI rates in U.S. hospitals rose significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The increase in HAIs, which followed years of declines, resulted from overwhelmed hospitals having fewer resources to devote to infection prevention and control and patient safety.
 
"While much progress has been made, more needs to be done to prevent healthcare-associated infections in a variety of settings," the CDC said. "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."