Survey of State Hospital Associations: Practices to Prevent Hospital-Associated Bloodstream Infections

摘要

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospital-associated infections are one of the top ten causes of death in this country. CDC researchers estimated that in 2002 there were approximately 1.7 million hospital-associated infections that resulted in approximately 99,000 deaths, caused substantial morbidity and suffering, and cost our nation billions of dollars. Most of the costs of these infections are borne by private insurers, Medicare and Medicaid, and patients and their families. There are simple proven steps that can be taken to reduce one of the primary causes of hospital-associated infections, central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). These infections can result when large catheters inserted into veins in hospitalized patients become infected. Recent studies by Johns Hopkins University and the Michigan Hospital Association show that CLABSIs are almost entirely preventable if state hospital associations implement programs to promote preventative measures. At the request of Chairman Henry Waxman, the Committee majority staff surveyed state hospital associations to assess the incidence of CLABSIs and efforts by state hospital associations to reduce the rate of CLABSIs. This report summarizes the results of the survey. It finds that despite strong evidence of effectiveness, only 14 state hospital associations reported adopting or planning to adopt the program to reduce CLABSIs used by the Michigan Hospital Association and Johns Hopkins University (the MHA/JHU program). These states are California, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.