2022 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Progress Report

The year 2022 showed U.S. progress in preventing several important healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Acute Care Hospitals (ACHs). This progress is the first of its kind since the emergence of the COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released the 2022 National and State Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Progress Report. While some settings saw no change or increases in infections, Acute Care Hospitals reported significant decreases in some HAIs between 2021 and 2022:

• Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) ( 9%),
• Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) ( 12%),
• Ventilator-associated events (VAE) ( 19%),
• LabID hospital-onset methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia ( 16%), and
• LabID hospital-onset Clostridioides difficile (CDI) ( 3%).
• Surgical site infections (SSI) following abdominal hysterectomy and colon surgery had no significant changes (figure 1).

The 2015 national baseline standardized infection ratio (SIR) of 1 is used as a reference point for measuring progress. In 2022, all national SIRs except VAEs improved compared to the 2015 baseline SIR of 1 for ACHs (figure 2).

The new report includes data from the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). Data for acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), and long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) are available in the Antimicrobial Resistance & Patient Safety Portal (AR&PSP).

The 2022 HAI Progress Report showed little progress in reducing HAIs in other healthcare settings. Among LTACHs, there were no significant changes in the 2022 SIRs compared with 2021 (figure 1). In IRFs, only IRF-onset CDI observed a 9% decrease in 2022 compared to 2021 (figure 1).

As in prior years, the 2022 HAI Progress Report continues to highlight the need for healthcare facilities to reinforce infection prevention and control practices. The report also reviews HAI surveillance data to identify areas that need improvement and address any gaps. CDC remains committed to protecting patients and promoting safety and quality in health care. CDC will continue partnering with healthcare facilities and other federal and local public health agencies to achieve healthcare quality across the U.S.

Explore the Antimicrobial Resistance & Patient Safety Portal (AR&PSP) for data from this most recent HAI Progress Report. You may also read the full 2022 HAI Progress Report.