State health department releases new data on infections in Illinois hospitals

C.diff on the rise; MRSA infections stable

[December 18, 2012]  CHICAGO -- The Illinois Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care website now contains the first infection surveillance data available statewide on hospital-acquired infections for two of the most common and often life-threatening bacterium found in Illinois hospitals.

Hospitals began reporting positive lab results for Clostridium Difficile, or C.diff, and MRSA, a virulent staph infection. Hospital discharge data indicated that rates of C.diff have more than doubled in the last decade in Illinois, while MRSA rates have remained virtually the same over the last three years.

"The new data gives preliminary insight into the burden of these infections in Illinois hospitals, and will assist health care providers in planning infection prevention initiatives and tracking progress designed to prevent infections over time," said Illinois Department of Public Health Director LaMar Hasbrouck.

IDPH kicked off an education campaign in March designed to educate hospital workers and health care personnel on preventing the spread of C.diff. Illinois was one of only 15 states funded by the CDC to implement programming for C.diff prevention.

The Hospital Report Card and Consumer Guide to Health Care website allows consumers to find information about health care-associated infections and other safety and quality issues in Illinois hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. To find out more about C. diff and MRSA infections and look up the latest information on the website, visit www.healthcarereportcard.illinois.gov.

[Text from Illinois Department of Public Health file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]