Skip to main content

MRSA Down, C. Difficile Up Slightly, Says CDC

 |  By cclark@healthleadersmedia.com  
   October 20, 2011

Four types of common healthcare-associated infections are in decline, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2010 report.

However, the agency said that clostridium difficile infections resisted prevention efforts, with a slight increase of 1.1% compared with 2008 and a projected increase of 6.8% for 2010.

In a statement, CDC director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, said "Hospitals continue to make impressive progress in driving down certain infections in intensive care units through implementation of CDC prevention strategies," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

"Hospitals and state health departments need to translate this progress to other areas of health care delivery and health care infections, such as dialysis and ambulatory surgery centers, and diarrheal infections such as Clostridium difficile."

The agency is keeping track of data submitted to the National Healthcare Safety Network, the CDC's healthcare infection monitoring system, to hasten the healthcare industry's progress in reaching nine national targets by 2013. 

It found that bloodstream infections, adherence to central line insertion practice guidelines, urinary tract infections, MRSA invasive infections, surgical site infections and surgical care improvement project measures are on track to meet these goals.

However, clostridium difficile hospitalizations are not on track and data are not yet available for MRSA bacteremia hospitalizations and clostridium difficile infections.

Types of infections that were in decline include:

  • Central line-associated bloodstream infections, or CLABSI, decreased 33%, with a 35% reduction among critical care and 26% drop among non-critical care patients between 2010 and the three-year period 2006-2008.
  • Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in hospitals declined 7% between 2009 and 2010.
  • Surgical site infections were reduced 10% in 2010 compared with a three-year baseline between 2006-2008.
  • Invasive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections associated with healthcare settings declined 18% in 2010 compared with a two-year baseline, 2007-2008.

The agency said that data suggest that hospitals are making improvements in compliance with five Surgical Care Improvement Project process measures to reduce surgical site infections.

Tagged Under:


Get the latest on healthcare leadership in your inbox.