Healthcare-associated infections (HAI)

A catheter that clinicians often place in a large vein in the neck, chest, or groin to give medication or fluids or to collect blood for medical tests.⁷

A CLABSI is a serious infection that occurs when pathogen (bacteria, fungus or virus) enters the bloodstream through a central line.⁷

• On average, up to 82 patients a day in the U.S. acquire a CLABSI.¹⁰
•  CLABSIs result in thousands of deaths (approximately 1 in 4 CLABSIs) each year and billions of dollars in added costs to the U.S. healthcare system.^{9, 11}
• Substandard catheter care, such as excessive manipulation of the catheter, is associated with an increased risk for CLABSI.¹²
• All CLABSIs acquired on day four or later during a hospital admission are a subset of HOB.¹³
• Although CLABSIs have been a primary focus, all vascular access devices can introduce risk for bloodstream infections, including peripherally inserted IV catheters.¹⁴

An SSI is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place.⁷ Surgical site infections can involve the skin only, more serious infections can involve tissues under the skin, organs or implanted material.⁷

• SSIs are now one of the most common and most costly HAIs and occur in 1-3% of patients undergoing inpatient surgery.¹⁵
• Approximately 160,000-300,000 occur each year in the U.S.¹²
• Up to 50% of SSIs have been estimated to be preventable by using evidence-based guidelines.¹⁶
• Patients with an SSI have a 2-11x higher risk of death compared to operative patients without SSI.¹⁵ Also, 77% of deaths in patients with SSI are directly attributable to SSI.¹⁵
• Surgical risk factors include prolonged procedures and inadequacies in surgical scrub, antiseptic preparation of the skin and surgical irrigation practice.¹⁷
• The incidence of HOB may be 6x higher in admissions with SSIs.¹⁸