California hospitals struggle to control some infections

Infection rates in Califoia hospitals and other settings have shown some improvement, but the presence of one articular bacteria is on the rise, according to a report released Wednesday by the state’s Department of Public Health.

There were 19,200 healthcare-associated infections reported in Califoia hospitals in 2014, the last year for which data were available. That’s about a 2 percent increase reported in 2013, according to the aual report, which looks at infections that patients develop during surgical treatment and other procedures at hospitals and related facilities.

The high infection rates are due to an increase in cases of C. difficile, or CDI which rose 9 percent from 2011 to 2014, public health officials said. The CDI spores are bacteria that can cause infectious diarrhea and can live on even after hand washing and the use of cleansers. It can be fatal.

In 2014, there were 10,588 cases of CDI, or more than half of all infections that occurred at 400 Califoia hospitals, according to the report.

“Though data shows Califoia hospitals are getting better, there is still work to be done,” said Califoia Department of Public Health Director Dr. Karen Smith in a statement.

The report, released aually and found at cdph.ca.gov, offers prevention strategies for hospitals to lower those rates, Smith said.

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