Healthcare Associated Infections Report
Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs)
On this page you will find:
- General information about HAIs
- Hospital Compare Web site
- Information about HAIs that are reportable in Delaware
General Information about HAIs
In American hospitals, healthcare associated infections (HAIs) account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year. HAIs are infections that patients can get after having medical or surgical treatments.
These infections can happen after surgery or after needles and catheters are inserted through a person's skin. The skin is the body's natural protection against bacteria and other organisms. Insertion of needles and devices provide a point of entry for bacteria into the body. Bacteria can then get into the bloodstream, internal organs and body spaces exposed during a surgery.
Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) have the highest risk of HAIs because of the number of procedures they undergo. They also have serious health problems. HAIs can make a patient's illness worse and their hospital stay longer. They also can be passed on to other individuals.
For more information on HAIs, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web site.
"Hospital Compare" Web site
In addition to future Delaware reports, a useful tool for measuring how well hospitals care for their patients is the Hospital Compare Web site. The site provides information on patient quality of care, including prevention of infections and care of surgical site infections. Hospital Compare was developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and agency that is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA). Hospital Compare is based on data from patient records. Follow the instructions on the Web site to locate specific hospitals in Delaware.
Information about HAIs that are reportable in Delaware
In January 2008, Delaware hospitals began reporting Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) in adult or pediatric medical and surgical intensive care units or any combination units. Central lines are catheters that are inserted into the heart or into a blood vessel leading directly to the heart. Certain infection prevention methods during insertion or when inserting needles into these lines have been shown to reduce the risk of central line infections.
Learn more about the Delaware Hospital Infections Disclosure Act.
To learn more about the Delaware Central Line Associated Blood Stream (CLABSI) 2008 Infection Report, go to the Delaware CLABSI 2008 Infection Rates table. This table includes links to information for Delaware hospitals.
For a complete list of Delaware CLABSI reports, go to Delaware Hospital Infection Reports.
National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Patient Safety Protocol
Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI) in hospital units defined by the CDC NHSN system in the following "Locations":
- *Medical-Surgical Critical Care Units (all combinations of Medical and Surgical Critical Care)
- Pediatric Critical Care Units (all combinations of Medical-Surgical as defined by NHSN)
* Reporting requirements were effective January 1, 2008.
