New York hospitals have high rate of surgical infections

New York hospitals had a higher rate of infection in surgical intensive care units in 2007 than the rest of the nation, according to a report. Compared to the national average of 2.7 infections per 1,000 days of central-line treatment, New York surgical intensive care units had 3.7 per 1,000. The report on hospital acquired infections was conducted by the state in compliance with a 2005 law that required New York to track statewide infection trends. The data for 2007 are not broken down by hospital, but in 2009 that information will be provided for hospitals in 2008.