Healthcare and Hospital-Acquired Infections Statistics

You went to the hospital for surgery, treatment, or care. You expected to leave healthier than when you arrived. Instead, you developed an infection that wasn’t there before. One that extended your stay, led to additional procedures, or caused complications that changed the course of your recovery.

These infections are called healthcare-associated infections, or HAIs. They happen when patients pick up an infection because of their care, whether through a surgical incision, a catheter, a central line, a ventilator, or simply being in an environment where dangerous germs circulate.

HAIs can be mild. They can also spiral into sepsis, organ failure, permanent disability, or death. If this happened to you or someone you love, you’re probably asking two questions: 

• How common is this?
• Should it have been prevented?

Recent hospital-acquired infections statistics can help answer the first question. The second requires a closer look at what actually happened during your care.

If you or a family member developed an infection after surgery, a catheter, a central line, or a hospital stay, you deserve answers about what went wrong.

Hodes Milman has spent more than 30 years investigating medical malpractice cases throughout Southern California. Call (949) 640-8222 or reach out online to discuss your situation.

How Common Are Hospital-Acquired Infections?

The CDC tracks HAIs through the National Healthcare Safety Network, the largest infection surveillance system in the country. Their data paints a clear picture: these infections remain a persistent problem in American healthcare.

According to the CDC, approximately one in 31 hospital patients contracts at least one infection during their care on any given day. That ratio has held relatively steady over time, even as prevention efforts have improved in certain areas.

This doesn’t mean every infection is someone’s fault. Patients who are critically ill, immunocompromised, or undergoing complex procedures face higher baseline risks. But the numbers show something important: 

HAIs are common enough that prevention must be a constant priority, not an afterthought.

The HAI Types You’ll Hear About Most

When hospital-acquired infections statistics make headlines, they usually involve a few major categories that the CDC tracks through mandatory reporting:

CLABSI (Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections)

A central line is a tube placed into a large vein, often in the neck, chest, or groin, to deliver medication or draw blood. When bacteria enter the bloodstream through the line, the infection can become life-threatening within hours.

CAUTI (Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections)

A urinary catheter drains urine from the bladder through a tube. The longer it stays in place, the higher the risk of infection. What starts as a UTI can escalate into a kidney infection or bloodstream infection if not caught early.

VAE (Ventilator-Associated Events)

Patients on ventilators are vulnerable to pneumonia and other lung complications. Ventilator-associated events signal that something went wrong, such as fluid buildup, infection, or lung injury, while the patient needed mechanical help to breathe.

SSI (Surgical Site Infections)

An infection at or near a surgical incision can range from superficial redness to deep tissue involvement requiring repeat surgery. SSIs are among the most preventable HAIs when proper protocols are followed.

Hospital-Onset MRSA Bloodstream Infections

MRSA is a strain of Staphylococcus aureus resistant to common antibiotics. When it enters the bloodstream after a patient has already been admitted, it’s classified as hospital-onset, meaning the facility likely played a role.

Hospital-Onset C. difficile (C. diff)

C. diff is a gut infection often triggered by antibiotic use and healthcare exposure. It causes severe diarrhea, can damage the colon, and frequently recurs. Hospital-onset cases point to transmission within the facility.

Statistics for Hospital-Acquired Infections

The CDC’s 2023 National and State HAI Progress Report compares infection rates from 2022 to 2023. The results are mixed, with progress in certain areas and setbacks in others.

Bloodstream Infections from Central Lines (CLABSI)

• 13% decrease overall from 2022 to 2023
• ICU settings saw a 20% decrease
• NICUs saw a 13% decrease
• General wards saw an 8% decrease

Urinary Tract Infections from Catheters (CAUTI)

• 11% decrease overall from 2022 to 2023
• ICU settings saw a 16% decrease
• General wards saw an 8% decrease

Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE)

• 5% decrease overall from 2022 to 2023
• ICU settings decreased 5%
• General wards increased 9%

Surgical Site Infections (SSI)

• 3% increase overall for combined SCIP procedures from 2022 to 2023
• Abdominal hysterectomy SSIs increased 8%
• Colon surgery SSIs showed no significant change

Hospital-Onset MRSA Bloodstream Infections

• 16% decrease from 2022 to 2023

Hospital-Onset C. difficile

• 13% decrease from 2022 to 2023

The takeaway: Several infection categories improved, but surgical site infections increased, particularly infections following hysterectomy procedures. A hospital that improves in one area can still fail in another.

Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates

More recent CDC data from 2024 shows continued improvement in certain areas, but the raw numbers remain troubling.

Central line infections decreased by 10% nationwide from 2023 to 2024. That sounds like good news until you see the actual count. An estimated 18,100 CLABSIs still occur each year in ICUs and general wards of U.S. acute care hospitals.

That’s 18,100 patients who developed a serious bloodstream infection that may have been preventable. Many will face extended hospitalizations, permanent complications, or death.

You don’t need to prove malpractice before picking up the phone. If an infection followed your hospital stay and you have questions about whether it should have been prevented, that’s reason enough to call.

Hodes Milman has spent decades handling complex medical malpractice cases throughout Southern California. Contact us at (949) 640-8222 for a free case review.

​If HAIs Are Decreasing, Why Do Lawsuits Happen?

Because overall improvement doesn’t answer the question that matters most to you: Should this have happened to me?

A hospital can show year-over-year progress in healthcare-associated infections statistics and still have preventable failures with individual patients. The staff member who skipped hand hygiene before accessing your central line. The catheter that stayed in three days longer than necessary. The surgical wound that wasn’t monitored closely enough. The fever that was dismissed until sepsis set in.

National trends tell you what’s possible when hospitals follow protocols. They don’t tell you whether your hospital followed them with you.

The CDC makes this clear: HAIs remain common enough that the healthcare system must keep improving. When a facility falls short of basic standards, patients suffer harm that should have been avoided.

When Does an HAI Become Malpractice?

Not every hospital-acquired infection is the result of negligence. But certain situations raise red flags that warrant a closer look.

The Infection Appeared After Things Seemed Fine

Your surgical incision was healing normally, then suddenly worsened days or weeks later. A catheter or central line stayed in longer than medically necessary, and an infection followed. Symptoms emerged after discharge when you were told everything looked good.

You Witnessed Breaks in Basic Protocol

Staff moved between patients without washing hands or changing gloves. Wound dressings were left dirty, wet, or unchanged for extended periods. A line or catheter was handled repeatedly without visible cleaning steps.

Warnings Were Raised But Not Acted On

You reported fever, increased pain, confusion, or drainage, and were told it was normal. Lab results came back abnormal, but antibiotics weren’t started for hours or days. Imaging that could have caught a deep infection wasn’t ordered until the situation became critical.

Records Don’t Match What You Experienced

Discharge paperwork says “no complications,” but you were readmitted for infection treatment. Notes are conflicting about when the symptoms started or what steps were taken. Critical information appears to be missing or inconsistent.

These incidents don’t, on their own, prove malpractice. But they suggest that something in the standard of care may have broken down, and that’s worth investigating.

What to Do If You Suspect a Hospital-Acquired Infection

If you believe an infection was connected to your care, take these steps:

• Ask direct questions. “Do you think this infection is related to my surgery? My catheter? My central line?” Get the medical team on record about what they believe happened.
• Request specifics. What germ caused the infection? Where exactly is it located? What’s the treatment plan? How long will recovery take?
• Obtain your records. Most facilities offer online patient portals where you can download visit summaries, lab results, and clinical notes. Request complete records as soon as possible.
• Document visible changes. Take dated photos of wound redness, swelling, drainage, or any visible deterioration. These images can later become important evidence.
• Create a timeline. Write down the procedure date, when symptoms first appeared, when you sought care, what you were told, and what treatments followed. Memory fades, but documentation doesn’t.

What Statistics Can and Can’t Prove

Statistics provide context. They show that HAIs are common, that prevention efforts can work, and that certain infection types are trending up or down. The CDC’s reports demonstrate that hospitals can reduce infections when they prioritize protocols and accountability. But statistics can’t tell you:

• Exactly how did your infection happen?
• Did the facility follow its own policies?
• Would earlier action have prevented your harm?
• Who is responsible for the breakdown in care?

Those answers come from medical records, expert analysis, and a detailed investigation of your specific hospitalization. Statistics tell you the problem exists. Your records tell you whether you were a victim of it.

Questions to Consider Before Speaking With a Lawyer

If you’re thinking about contacting a medical malpractice attorney, organizing your thoughts around these questions can help:

• When did the first symptoms appear, and how did the medical team respond?
• Was a device involved, such as a catheter, central line, ventilator, or surgical implant?
• Was the infection classified as “hospital-onset” or present on admission?
• Were there delays in diagnosing or treating the infection once symptoms appeared?
• Did the infection cause additional harm, such as repeat surgery, ICU admission, prolonged recovery, or permanent complications?
• What have you lost because of it, including time, income, physical function, or independence?

You don’t need all the answers before making a call. That’s what the investigation is for.

Talk to a Medical Malpractice Lawyer About Your Infection

A hospital stay should make you better, not worse. When an infection that should have been prevented changes the course of your health, someone should answer for it.

Hodes Milman has recovered more than $200 million for victims of medical malpractice throughout Southern California. Our attorneys understand how HAI cases work, what the records should show, where protocols break down, and how to hold hospitals accountable when basic standards aren’t met.

If you suspect your infection was caused by medical negligence, call (949) 640-8222 or contact us online. Your consultation is free, and it could be the first step toward the answers you deserve.