Long-term care healthcare-associated infections in 2023: An analysis of 23,970 reports (22 April 2024)

Summary

The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Reporting System (PA-PSRS) is the largest database of patient safety event reports in the United States. This study in Patient Safety analysed more than 23,970 healthcare association infection (HAI) reports submitted by long term care facilities in Pennsylvania in 2023. The results showed an increase in the number of reports of HAIs submitted.

• The overall infection rate increased by 11.4%, from 0.88 in 2022 to 0.98 in 2023, and all six regions of the state had an increase in infection rate.
• The Northeast region had the highest rate, with 1.28 reports per 1,000 resident days, and the Southeast region had the lowest rate, at 0.72.
• The overall rate increase was driven by rates of urinary tract infection (UTI) and skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI), which increased by 20.1% and 17.4%, respectively.
• Within the UTI infection type, symptomatic urinary tract infection (SUTI) rates increased by 21.1% and catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rates increased by 11.8%.

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