What is CDC doing to prevent healthcare-associated infections?

Healthcare-associated infections are a threat to patient safety.  CDC provides national leadership in surveillance, outbreak investigations, laboratory research, and prevention of healthcare-associated infections. CDC uses knowledge gained through these activities to detect infections and develop new strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

Public health action by CDC and other healthcare partners has led to improvements in clinical practice, medical procedures, and the ongoing development of evidence-based infection control, guidance. Some examples of successful collaborations include:

• Preventing Healthcare-Associated Infections
  Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Workshop June 7, 2009 PDF (2.28 MB / 110 slides)
• Prevention Epicenters Program
• Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative’s for bloodstream infection elimination
• Veterans Administration’s MRSA Prevention Initiative

CDC guidelines for prevention of healthcare-associated infections are the standard of care in U.S. hospitals and guide the clinical practices of healthcare providers in the United States.

Infection Control Topics

• Infection Control Home
• Healthcare-Associated Infections
• Protecting Patients
• Protecting Healthcare Workers
• Infection Control Guidelines
• Infection Control A-Z
• About DHQP