2015 to 2023 saw decline in health-care-associated infections in the U.S.

The prevalence of health care-associated infections was lower in 2023 than in 2015 in the United States, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Nora Chea, M.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues identified health care-associated infections in hospitals on a survey day between May 1 and Sept. 30, 2023, to examine changes in the prevalence of these infections since 2015.

The researchers found that in 2023, 355 of 13,653 patients from 218 hospitals had at least one health care-associated infection, compared with 394 of 12,299 patients in 199 hospitals in 2015 (2.6% versus 3.2%).

Of the health care-associated infections, about 60% were not linked to devices or procedures. After adjustment for other factors, patients were less likely to have a health care-associated infection in 2023 than in 2015 in the 151 hospitals included in both surveys (risk ratio, 0.73). In 2023, there were an estimated 518,000 health care-associated infections in U.S. hospitals.

“This is good news for patient safety and health care quality—we’re thankful for the public health and health care partners that helped drive this progress,” co-author Shelley S. Magill, M.D., Ph.D., also from the CDC, said in a statement.

“We are committed to working with partners to prioritize patient safety and invest in innovative strategies to further reduce health care-associated infections and protect the health of all Americans.”

Who’s behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries.

Full profile →

Advertisements

Andrew Zinin

Master’s in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X’s editorial success.

Full profile →

Copyright © 2026 HealthDay. All rights reserved.