Health care-acquired infections (HAI) declined from 2008 to 2013 according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National and State Healthcare-Associated Infection Progress Report.
U.S. hospitals reported a 10 percent decline in C. difficile infections between 2008 and 2013, while MRSA-related infections fell 8 percent during the same time period. The report found that infection rates decreased dramatically when doctors and staff were provided specific training on HAI prevention.
Despite the improvements, the CDC cautions that continued progress and expanded efforts to prevent HAIs are necessary to slow the rise of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, reports Infection Control Today.