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CONTACT: Beth Kaplan, (608) 266-1683
PREVENTION PROJECT REDUCES INFECTIONS IN WISCONSIN HOSPITALS
MADISON—State health officials
today reported that Wisconsin hospitals participating in a voluntary
infection prevention project have achieved significant reductions in
healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The
first annual report of the Wisconsin Healthcare-Associated Infections
Prevention Project found reporting hospitals saw significant reductions in
the occurrence of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs)
compared to national baseline data from 2006-2008. The hospitals reported
these infections dropped 33% in 2009 and 26% in 2010.
A central line is a
tube placed in a large vein of a patient's neck or chest to provide
certain medical treatments. If not inserted correctly or kept clean,
bacteria can enter the body through the central line and cause a serious,
sometimes deadly bloodstream infection.
“This is very
encouraging news,” said Dr. Henry Anderson, State Health Officer.
“Reduction of these serious healthcare-associated infections means
patients are safer as they seek medical care in our hospitals.
It’s a credit to the hard work of our healthcare partners.”
Other report findings
include an increase in the number of reporting hospitals since the project
began in September 2009. Some
60 Wisconsin hospitals currently participate in the project.
Almost 2 million HAIs
occur annually in the U.S. and are associated with 100,000 deaths, making
them the sixth leading cause of death in the country.
The Department of Health Services started the HAI Prevention
Project as a private-public partnership after federal officials declared
HAIs a major public health problem.
DHS monitors statewide
HAI rates and supports prevention efforts through partnerships with the
Wisconsin Hospital Association and MetaStar, the quality improvement
organization for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
“This is a classic
example of how a private-public partnership can serve Wisconsin
residents,” Anderson said.
For more information: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/communicable/HAI/index.htm
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Last Revised: July 28, 2011
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