Healthcare-Associated Infections
People can get infections from hospitals, surgery centers or other places that offer health care. Infections that patients get while or soon after receiving health care are called healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and are a serious threat to healthcare safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in twenty-five patients in the United States is diagnosed with at least one HAI each year.
All hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities know that stopping HAIs is vital. HAIs are still a major cause of disease, loss of life and high medical costs. Laws were put in place to report these infections to the public. There are ways to help manage and prevent HAIs. We created a system to track HAIs. General hospitals and surgery centers are required to report certain HAIs in Texas, including:
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Central Line-associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs): These are infections in the blood that happen when a central line (tube that carries medicine and other treatments into a patient’s body) is used in a patient.
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Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections (CAUTIs): These are infections in a patient’s urinary tract (often referred to as a urinary tract infection or UTI) after a urinary catheter is placed in a patient.
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Surgical Site Infections (SSIs): These infections can happen in a patient’s body after the patient has surgery. Only infections related to hysterectomies and colon surgeries are required to be reported. (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridioides difficile Infection (CDI) events: Hospital acquired and community acquired infections are required to be reported.
For additional information about HAIs visit the antimicrobial resistance/multidrug-resistant organism page: Antimicrobial Resistance/Multidrug-Resistant Organisms | Texas DSHS.
Popular Resources
Report Healthcare-Associated Infections
Find information on the Texas Reporting Requirements and get help navigating the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) and the Texas Healthcare Safety Network (TxHSN).
Review Healthcare-Associated Infection data
Find a report on HAI data for a specific hospital or ambulatory surgery center in the state of Texas.
Healthcare-Associated Infection Resources, Guidance and Training
Get training materials and resources for infection preventionists and learn how to use HAI reporting tools.
Read common questions and answers about HAIs.
Healthcare-Associated Infection Audit Tools
Ask us about your HAI questions!
