Progress being made in U.S. hospitals.

• Position: Infection Control

Progress has been made in the effort to eliminate infections that commonly threaten hospital patients, including a 46% decrease in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) since 2008, according to a report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. However, additional work is needed to continue to improve patient safety.

The health care-associated infections (HAI) progress report is a snapshot of how each state and the country are doing in eliminating six infection types that hospitals are required to report to the CDC. For the first time, this year's HAI progress report includes state-specific data about hospital lab-identified methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections (deadly diarrhea).

On the national level, the report found:

* A 46% decrease in CLABSI. This infection occurs when a tube is placed in a large vein and either not put in correctly or not kept clean, becoming a highway for germs to enter the body and cause deadly infections in the blood.

* A 19% decrease in surgical site...