A recent survey by the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) found that one in 18 patients, or approximately 80,000 patients per day, contract a healthcare-associated infection.  This survey was conducted in over 1,000 hospitals in 30 European countries.  Based on the results of the survey, the ECDC concludes that infections acquired in healthcare settings continue to pose a threat to public health.

In total, approximately 3.2 million patients in Europe suffer from a hospital-acquired infection annually.  A healthcare-associated infection, also known as a hospital-acquired infection, refers to infections that a patient acquires while staying at a hospital or in another healthcare setting.  The most common infections are respiratory, urinary tract, bloodstream, and surgical site infections.  Of the reported infections, over 23 percent were pneumonia and lower respiratory infections, 19.6 percent were surgical site infections, 19 percent were urinary tract infections, 10.7 were bloodstream infections, and 7.7 percent were gastrointestinal infections.

The rate of healthcare-associated infections in the U.S. is not much better.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in 20 hospitalized patients contract an infection.  In 2002, the estimated number of these infections was 1.7 million. However, others disagree with the estimate, arguing that it is and underestimate that does not capture the true magnitude of the problem.

One of these groups is the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths.  The Committee points to studies showing growing rates of infection for certain types of infections, specifically superbugs.  Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has received the most attention of the superbugs because of estimates showing that the prevalence of MRSA more than doubled in the U.S. between 2005 and 2007.  The Guardian estimates that MRSA-related bloodstream infections have dropped in the U.K.

MRSA is alarming because it does not respond to most antibiotics.  However, it is possible to reduce the infection rate.  The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths recommends that incoming patients are screened for the presence of the MRSA bacteria.  The bacteria does not cause an illness until it enters the bloodstream, usually through the use of a ventilator or through a surgical incision.  However, the bacteria can continue to spread if patients are not screened immediately, exponentially increasing the number of infections.  The CDC provides an extended checklist for reducing infections and Health and Human Services is has created a national action plan to coordinate research efforts and prevention tactics for reducing infections across all healthcare settings.