Health CareAssociated Infections Among Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19, March 2020-March 2022

Question: What is the incidence of health care –associated infections (HAIs) among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 vs those without COVID-19? Findings: In a cross-sectional analysis of more than 5 million hospitalizations between 2020 and 2022, the occurrence of central line–associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary t ract infection, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia was between 2.7- and 3.7-fold higher in the COVID-19 population. Occurrence of these HAIs among patients hospitalized without COVID-19 did not increase significantly from baseline during this same time frame. Meaning: Despite the strain on the health care system, the increase in HAIs was not observed in the non–COVID-19 population, suggesting that key safety processes were maintained and patients with COVID-19 may require additional protective care to prevent HAIs.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news