By The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is preparing to survey hospitals in an attempt to determine the prevalence of hospital-associated infections (HAIs). The CDC last assessed HAIs in the 1970s and ’80s. At that time, 5% of hospitalized patients acquired an infection that was not present on admission.
According to a notice published in the Federal Register, “Preventing HAIs is a CDC priority and an essential step in reducing the occurrence of HAIs is to accurately estimate the burden of these infections in U.S. hospitals and to describe the types of HAIs and their causative organisms, including antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.”
The CDC plans to survey 30 hospitals in 10 states in a single, yet-to-be-determined day. This initial survey will be followed by a survey of 500 hospitals in the same 10 states.
The information gathered will be used to develop strategies for the prevention of HAIs and to encourage the appropriate use of antimicrobial agents.
More on the CDC and healthcare -associated infections
