Monday, June 30, 2008

Colorado Hospital Acquired Infections Data Now Available Online

DENVER - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment today released the first Health Facility Acquired Infections Bulletin. The bulletin contains hospital-specific infection rates for central line associated bloodstream infections occurring in adult intensive care units. A central line is an intravascular catheter that terminates at or close to the heart or in one of the great vessels, and can be used to infuse fluids or draw blood in patients.

The bulletin displays the first six months of data collected from the new reporting system implemented on July 31, 2007. “This information can help consumers make informed health decisions and lead to improved patient care at Colorado hospitals,” said Ned Calonge, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Colorado’s Hospital-Acquired Infections Disclosure Act (House Bill 06-1045) was approved in June 2006. Hospital-acquired infections are infections that occur during or after treatment for a separate medical condition. Although many hospitals collected and tracked infection data before the law was implemented, the new reporting system will ensure hospitals and other facility types are using the same definitions and data constraints so the information can be compared to national rates, according to Calonge.

This is the first report to contain data from the new reporting system. Two more reports will be developed this year. Another report concerning central line associated bloodstream infections, focusing on newborns, will be available this fall. The annual report will be published by January 15, 2009, and will contain information on surgical site infections and central line associated bloodstream infections.