AHRQ's 2009 Funded Projects to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections

AHRQ's 2009 Funded Projects to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections

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In October 2008, Congress appropriated $17 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for projects to help further reduce and eliminate health care-associated infections (HAIs). This fact sheet provides brief descriptions of each project.

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Introduction
Acronyms
Addressing Health Care-Associated Infections
Addressing Central Line-Associated Blood Stream Infections
Addressing Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections
Addressing Clostridium Difficile Infections
Addressing Surgical Site Infections
Addressing Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Infections
Addressing Catheter-Associated Urinary TractInfections
For More Information

Introduction
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for another condition in a health care facility. A study of patients in 2002 estimated that HAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths annually, making them the most common complication of hospital care. The added financial burden attributable to HAIs is estimated to be between $28 billion to $33 billion each year.

To address this growing problem, AHRQ has funded and collaborated with other Federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and launch projects that prevent and reduce HAIs. These projects are primarily funded through existing AHRQ mechanisms.

In October 2008, Congress appropriated $17 million to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for projects to help further reduce and eliminate HAIs. This fact sheet features details of projects that AHRQ funded in fiscal year 2009 to address various infections, including central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSIs), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs), surgical site infections (SSIs), Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), and blood stream infections (BSIs).


Acronyms
ACTION—Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks
AHRQ—Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
BSI—blood stream infection
CAUTI—catheter-associated urinary tract infection
CDC—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDI—Clostridium difficile infection
C. difficile—Clostridium difficile
CLABSI—central line-associated blood stream infection
CRE—Carbapenem-resistant enterobacteriaceae
CUSP—Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program
HAI—Health care-associated infection
HHS—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
HCUP—Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project
ICU—intensive care unit
KPC—Klebsiella pneumonia carbapenemase
MRSA—methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
SSI—surgical site infection


Addressing Health Care-Associated Infections
Medical devices and surgical procedures can cause BSIs, CAUTIs, SSIs, and ventilator-associated pneumonia, all of which can lead to extended hospital stays, increased care costs, and higher risk of death. Many of these infections are caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, such as MRSA or CRE, which are related to overuse of antibiotics and frequent patient-to-patient transmission of microorganisms. Although not related to a medical device or surgical procedure, Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a frequent cause of an intestinal infection that is spread in health care settings and infects patients who have recently received antibiotics. Preventing and reducing these infections can be a challenge for individuals who provide patient care. To address this issue, AHRQ supports many activities focused on preventing and reducing HAIs. They are summarized below.

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AHRQ's 2009 Funded Projects to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections