New CDC Study: Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare-Associated Infections
Healthcare-Associated Infections Increased in 2020 During the COVID-19 Pandemic, CDC Study Finds |
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A new study from CDC is the first comprehensive look at the impact of COVID-19 on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that harm patients in U.S. hospitals. The findings, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE), show substantial increases nationally in HAI and select antibiotic-resistant (AR) infections in 2020 compared to 2019. For most of these infections, the increases seen in 2020 present a strong contrast to the success in reducing these infections prior to the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic created a perfect storm for HAI and AR infections in healthcare settings. Many hospitals faced extraordinary circumstances that may have reduced the implementation of standard infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. As hospitals were inundated by COVID-19, data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), CDC’s domestic tracking and response system to identify emerging and enduring threats across healthcare, revealed an increase in HAI incidence throughout 2020. Data from NHSN show initial increases early in 2020 for ventilator-associated events (VAEs), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia. In addition, compared to 2019, the second half of 2020 saw large and significant increases in catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), CLABSIs, VAEs, and MRSA bacteremia.
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Figure 1. Changes in the 2020 national healthcare-associated infection (HAI) Standardized Infection Ratios (SIRs) for acute-care hospitals, compared to respective 2019 quarters |
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See Figure 1 Notes/Interpretation |
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This new report highlights the need for hospitals to continue to reinforce IPC practices in their facilities and regularly review HAI surveillance data to identify areas that need to be improved, plus address any gaps in prevention practices. CDC will continue to invest in healthcare infection prevention, training for all healthcare providers, and ensuring healthcare facilities and partners in state and local health departments have actionable data to ensure that individuals who need healthcare during the pandemic and beyond are able to receive safe care. The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to take a significant toll on the United States and the globe. Strengthening our healthcare system and providing new tools to clinicians is critical to in the fight against COVID-19, HAIs, and AR in the United States.
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New @CDCgov study shows an increase in healthcare-associated infections during the #COVID19 pandemic & highlights #InfectionControl as critical tool to address emerging infectious diseases & protect patients. https://doi.org/10.1017/ice.2021.362  |
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