National Healthcare Safety Network
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections acquired within a health care setting or related to the receipt of medical care. They are a leading cause of unnecessary death and are a serious threat to public health. Each year, millions of patients are affected by HAIs worldwide. Although significant progress has been made in preventing HAIs, data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate there is much more work to be done.
CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) is the nation’s most widely used healthcare-associated infection tracking system. NHSN provides facilities, states, regions, and the nation with data needed to identify problem areas, measure progress of prevention efforts, and ultimately eliminate healthcare-associated infections.
In addition, NHSN allows health care facilities to track blood safety errors and important health care process measures such as health care personnel influenza vaccine status and infection control adherence rates.
Montana has a data use agreement (DUA) with CDC and Montana health care facilities which allows the state health department to gain access to data reported to NHSN from Montana health care facilities. The DUA is designed to allow data access solely for the purposes of surveillance and prevention. The ICP/HAI Section tracks trends in Montana health care facilities from NHSN for the following: CAUTI, CLABSI, HO-CDI, MRSA Bacteremia, SSI, and Antimicrobial Use and Resistance.
For Montana-specific HAI data, please visit the HAI dashboard.An indwelling urinary catheter, sometimes referred to as a foley catheter, is a drainage tube that is inserted into the urinary bladder through the urethra, is left in place, and is connected to a closed collection system. A catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) occurs when germs (usually bacteria) enter the urinary tract through the urinary catheter and cause infection. CAUTIs have been associated with increased morbidity, mortality, health care costs, and length of stay. Health care facilities can prevent CAUTIs by following appropriate infection prevention recommendations when inserting and maintaining indwelling urinary catheters, and by removing a urinary catheter as soon as it is no longer medically necessary.
Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI) Basics | UTI | CDCA central line (also known as a central venous catheter) is a catheter (tube) that health care providers often place in a large vein in the neck, chest, or groin to give medication or fluids or to collect blood for medical tests. Central lines are different from intravenous therapy because central lines access a major vein that is close to the heart and can remain in place for weeks to months and be much more likely to cause serious infection. Central lines are commonly used in intensive care units. A central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) is a serious infection that occurs when germs (usually bacteria or viruses) enter the bloodstream through the central line. Health care providers must follow a strict protocol when inserting the line to make sure the line remains sterile and a CLABSI does not occur. In addition to inserting the central line properly, health care providers must use stringent infection control practices each time they check the line or change the dressing. Health care facilities can prevent CLABSIs by following appropriate infection prevention recommendations when placing and maintaining a central line, and by removing a central line as soon as it is no longer medically necessary.
CLABSI Basics | Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections | CDC | CLABSI
Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that naturally resides in the bowels of some people without symptoms of infection. C. difficile is responsible for a spectrum of C. difficile infections (CDI), including gastrointestinal illness which can lead to severe complications including sepsis and death. CDI can occur when C. difficile spores are transferred to patients via the hands of health care personnel or other contaminated surfaces or items. Health care facilities can prevent CDI by using antibiotics wisely and following infection prevention recommendations, including hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and Contact Precautions, a type of transmission-based precaution, to prevent the spread of C. difficile in the health care setting.
About C. diff | C. diff | CDCMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of Staphylococcus bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics. MRSA can be spread via contaminated surfaces or equipment and on the hands of health care personnel. When MRSA enters the bloodstream, also known as MRSA bacteremia, it can cause severe and life-threatening bloodstream infections. Health care facilities can prevent MRSA infections by following infection prevention recommendations, including hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and Contact Precautions to prevent the spread of MRSA in health care settings.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Basics | MRSA | CDCA surgical site infection is an infection that occurs after surgery in the part of the body where the surgery took place. Surgical site infections can sometimes be superficial infections only involving the skin. While others can be more serious and involve deeper tissues, organs, or implanted materials such as artificial joints. Health care facilities can prevent SSIs by following appropriate infection prevention recommendations before, during, and after surgery.