From 2007 to 2012 the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) decreased among hospitalized children, according to a study published online September 8 in Pediatrics.
Researchers collected 2007 to 2012 HAI data from neonatal intensive care units in 173 hospitals and from pediatric intensive care units in 64 hospitals.
- The researchers observed decreases in the rates of central-line associated bloodstream infections from 2007 to 2012 in NICUs (4.9 to 1.5 per 1,000 central-line days; incidence rate ratio [IRR] per quarter, 0.96) and in PICUs (4.7 to 1.0 per 1,000 central-line days; IRR per quarter, 0.96).
- There were also decreases observed in the rates of ventilator-associated pneumonias in NICUs (1.6 to 0.6 per 1,000 ventilator days; IRR per quarter, 0.97) and in PICUs (1.9 to 0.7 per 1,000 ventilator days; IRR per quarter, 0.95).
- In PICUs there was no significant change noted in the rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
“Over the past several years, US hospitals made substantial improvements in preventing harm to hospitalized neonates and children by reducing HAIs,” the authors write.
