Arkansas hospitals reporting fewer infections acquired by patients in the hospital setting

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are infections caused by a wide variety of common and unusual bacteria, fungi, and viruses that develop during the course of receiving care in a medical setting such as a hospital. Arkansas healthcare facilities report their HAI data to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) by entering the data into a database housed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This database is known as the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

In January 2011, hospitals began reporting Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs) that occurred in their intensive care units (ICUs).  A CLABSI is a specific type of HAI that can occur when a patient has a central line. A “central line” or “central catheter” is a tube that is placed into a patient’s large vein, usually in the neck, chest, arm, or groin. The catheter is often used to draw blood, or give fluids or medications. It may be left in place for several weeks. A bloodstream infection can occur when bacteria or other germs travel down a “central line” and enter the blood.  Arkansas hospitals are experiencing more than 50 percent fewer Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infections (CLABSIs) than would be predicted using national data.