Probability of Hospital-Acquired Infection

The CDC estimates that on any given day, about 1 in 31 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection (HAI). Over the course of a hospitalization, approximately 4% of patients (about 700,000 per year) develop an HAI. These infections result in approximately 75,000 deaths per year and add an estimated $28.4 billion in healthcare costs.

The most common types of HAIs include surgical site infections (about 31%), pneumonia (about 25%), urinary tract infections (about 12%), bloodstream infections (about 10%), and Clostridioides difficile infections (about 12%). Risk factors include prolonged hospitalization, invasive devices (central lines, urinary catheters, ventilators), immunosuppression, and multiple surgeries.

Significant progress has been made in reducing HAIs through evidence-based prevention bundles. Central line-associated bloodstream infections have decreased by about 50% since 2008, and surgical site infections by about 6%. Hand hygiene compliance (the single most important prevention measure) averages about 40-60% among healthcare workers despite extensive education programs. The CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) tracks HAI rates at over 37,000 healthcare facilities.