Findings seen for central line-associated bloodstream infection, catheter-associated urinary tract infection, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus<\/em> bacteremia<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n <\/b><\/p>\n FRIDAY, April 14, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The incidence of health care-associated infections (HAIs) was higher among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 than for patients without COVID-19, according to a study published online April 13 in JAMA Network Open<\/em>.<\/p>\n Kenneth E. Sands, M.D., from HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues assessed HAI occurrence among patients admitted to hospitals with and without COVID-19. The analysis included data from 5 million hospitalizations in 182 hospitals between 2020 and 2022.<\/p>\n The researchers found that the incidence of HAI was higher among those with COVID-19 versus those without. During the full study period, the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) was nearly fourfold higher among the COVID-19 population than the non-COVID-19 population (25.4 versus 6.9 per 100,000 patient-days). Similar trends were seen for catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI; 16.5 versus 6.1) and for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus<\/em> (MRSA) bacteremia (11.2 versus 3.7). Using data only for the non-COVID-19 population, there was no difference in CLABSI incidence versus the same quarter in 2019, and the quarterly rates of MRSA and CAUTI were lower than the 2019 comparator quarter rates.<\/p>\n Despite the strain on the health care system, the increase in HAIs was not observed in the non-COVID-19 population, suggesting that key safety processes were maintained and patients with COVID-19 may require additional protective care to prevent HAIs, the authors write.<\/p>\n