Bay Area Hospital 'Collaborative' Succesful in Reducing HAIs, Saving Lives

Silicon Valley Business Journal delivers some much-needed, good news on Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs). According to the April 22nd article:

"The Beacon Collaborative, a voluntary affiliation of 39 hospitals in five San Francisco Bay Area counties, said Monday that its members reduced the number of two major types of hospital infections dramatically between April 2006 and the end of last year, saving an estimated 194 lives in the process.

Hospitals participating in the voluntary effort are located in five Bay Area counties: San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

During the 21-month period, 34 of the 39 hospitals in the group prevented an estimated 60 percent of the cases of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) that otherwise would have been expected, and an estimated 66 percent of cases of central line-associated bloodstream infections (CL-BSI), two of the most common types of so-called hospital-acquired infections. Approximately 720 infections were likely prevented, saving an estimated 194 lives and nearly $4 million in unnecessary hospital costs."

Nationally, VAP infections account for more than 35,000 deaths a year, at an average cost of nearly $10,000 per infection, and CL-BSI cases result in as many as 21,000 deaths, at an average cost of more than $36,000 per infection, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited by the Beacon group.

It is indeed inspiring to hear how, in working together, some positive new milestones are being achieved. Especially since those milestones equate to lives saved. We hope to continue to bring more positive news in the fight against HAIs--including more success in better hand hygiene, prevention of falls, super bugs and bed sores.

Full article located here.