Hospital cleanliness under scrutiny after Colorado hospital suspends operations Image By HPN Staff Key Points The University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora halted all non-emergency surgeries for a week in July after a state inspection uncovered serious cleanliness issues and a backlog in sterilizing surgical equipment. CDC data from 2024 show that while infection rates like MRSA and C. difficile have declined nationwide, roughly 1 in 31 U.S. patients still contracts a healthcare-associated infection, underscoring persistent risks tied to improper sterilization. Infection control researchers warn that preventing pathogen transmission through better hygiene and sterilization must become a top priority, emphasizing that “cleaning, still the Cinderella of infection control, should step into the spotlight.” A major hospital in Colorado suspended all non-emergency surgical operations for an entire week in July amid a state health inspection due to concerns about the cleanliness of surgical equipment. Inspection reports released by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) revealed that several trays of used surgical equipment at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, were left out waiting to be cleaned and disinfected by the hospital’s sterile processing department, which was evidently experiencing a severe backup. Why It Matters Hospital cleanliness along with improper sterilization and reuse of equipment between patients are the primary causes of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from November 2024 shows that while substantial progress has been made by hospitals and other medical facilities in the last several years in controlling HAIs, there is still some room for improvement. The report found that 1 in 31 patients in the U.S. — and 1 in 47 nursing home residents — have contracted at least one infection related to the healthcare they received. Many hospitals in the United States exhibit exceptional cleanliness standards: this year 386 hospitals in the country received a 5-star cleanliness rating — the highest available — from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). However, outlier reports of cleanliness-related issues can cause widespread concern, such as reports of Chicago’s “death hospital.” Among the findings in the CDC HAI report was a 16% decrease in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a 13% decrease in both central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) and C. difficile infection (CDI), and a 5% decrease in ventilator-associated events (VAE) in acute care hospitals between 2022 and 2023. In addition, compared to the 2015 national baseline of acute care hospitals, 49 states performed better on at least three infection types and four states performed worse on at least two or more infection types. But there are growing concerns that hospitals are under-reporting instances of HAIs, owing to the fact that too many HAI instances could result in hospitals receiving federal fines in the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. The bigger picture In 2023, an article in the Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (ARIC) journal noted “that the 21st century needs to broaden its scientific attitude to infection, and that is achieved by a deeper understanding of pathogen transmission. If we cannot treat infection, we should at least try to prevent pathogens from reaching patients in the first place.” The ARIC report said that knowing where the pathogens are, and how they spread, allows clinicians, academics and commercial entities to devise practices and technology aimed at solutions to protect people both inside and outside the healthcare environment. “It is time for cleaning, still the Cinderella of infection control, to step into the spotlight,” the article said. SUGGESTED STORIES Children’s hospital caught in North Carolina budget battle as lawmakers seek to close funding gaps North Carolina lawmakers remain deadlocked on the state budget, with Medicaid funding and support for a new children’s hospital at the center of the standoff between the two chambers. The House has proposed $500 million for Medicaid, while the Senate has pitched $64 Read more Critics call for transparency in a federal hospital funding stream A federal drug pricing program intended to help hospitals fund uncompensated care is facing new criticism. Those critics contend that the program that allows certain hospitals to purchase drugs at a discount has expanded far beyond its original intent. Read more Fluoride in drinking water draws growing scrutiny A national re-examination of fluoridated water is well underway, with a number of localities and at least two states ending long-standing programs to add a bit of the mineral to their drinking water supplies. Legislatures in Florida and Utah Read more
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