By Healthcare Facilities Today

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.