Healthcare-Associated Infections Increased During COVID-19 Pandemic: The Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit organization founded by large employers and others in 2000 that drives a movement for giant leaps for patient safety, issued a report on May 3, 2023 entitled “New Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade Reveals Significant Increase in Healthcare-Associated Infections and Worsening Patient Experience During COVID-19 Pandemic” in which it stated: “The average risk of three healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)— including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI)—spiked to a 5-year high in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain high.”

The report stated the following statistics:

Average CLABSI standard infection ratio increased by 60%

Average MRSA standard infection ratio increased by 37%

Average CAUTI standard infection ratio increased by 19%

32 out of the 50 states had a significant increase of CLABSI, with the biggest increase in West Virginia

18 out of the 50 states had a significant increase of MSRA, with the biggest increase in West Virginia

11 out of the 50 states had a significant increase of CAUTI, with the biggest increase in New Mexico

Although MRSA, CLABSI and CAUTI worsened, Clostridioides difficile (C. Diff) improved 15% from spring 2021 to spring 2023 and there was not a significant change for surgical site infections following surgery.

29% of hospitals received an “A,” 26% received a “B,” 39% received a “C,” 6% received a “D,” and less than 1% received an “F”

The top ten states with the highest percentages of “A” hospitals are: New Jersey, Idaho, Utah, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Virginia, and Massachusetts

There were no “A” hospitals in Delaware, District of Columbia or North Dakota

Note: The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade is the only hospital ratings program based exclusively on hospital prevention of medical errors and harms to patients. The grading system assigns a letter grade to nearly 3,000 U.S. general hospitals. It is fully transparent and free to the public, and grades are updated biannually in the fall and in the spring.

The CEO and president of The Leapfrog Group stated at the time the report was published: “The dramatic spike in HAIs reported in this Safety Grade cycle should stop hospitals in their tracks—infections like these can be life or death for some patients. We recognize the tremendous strain the pandemic put on hospitals and their workforce, but alarming findings like these indicate hospitals must recommit to patient safety and build more resilience.”

Source

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