The five most common hospital-acquired infections cost the U.S. health care system almost $10 billion annually, according to a new study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One out of every 20 patients who are admitted to a hospital will get an infection while there, according to an article in U.S. News & World Report. Almost half of these often serious and even life-threatening infections may be preventable.
The new study from Harvard researchers, which was published online Sept. 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that by focusing efforts on surgical site infections and by guarding against infections caused by Clostridium difficile, hospitals could save substantial amounts of money.
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis, or a study of studies, to estimate the costs associated with each of the different kinds of infections, according to the article. They used a large, national database maintained by the CDC to estimate the number of health care-associated infections. And they built mathematical models to incorporate variations in patient outcomes and to see how those variations impacted costs.
Read the article.
Designing for Distraction: Benefits for Children, Families
Staffing and Consolidation Reshape Outpatient Facility Strategies
Adams Health Network Falls Victim to Phishing Attack
Ventilation and Filtering for Infection Control 
ChristianaCare Opens Aston Campus Neighborhood Hospital