Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) in Australian public hospitals
Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) associated with hospital care is an important measure of the safety of hospital care. The aim is to have as few cases of SAB as possible. One of the most effective ways to minimise the risk of SAB and other healthcare-associated infections is good hand hygiene.
Patients who develop bloodstream infections such as SAB are more likely to suffer complications that result in a longer hospital stay and an increased cost of hospitalisation. Serious infections may also result in death.
Hospital-associated SAB infections are monitored by surveillance arrangements in public hospitals. The SAB cases reported include those associated with both admitted and non-admitted hospital care.
A national benchmark has been set for public hospitals that no more than 2.0 cases of SAB occur for every 10,000 days of patient care.
In 2010–11, there were 1,873 cases of SAB reported for Australian public hospitals overall. More than two-thirds (73%) were methicillin sensitive, and would therefore have been treatable with commonly used antibiotics. These cases occurred during approximately 17 million days of patient care under SAB surveillance during 2010–11.
All states and territories had rates of SAB below the national benchmark of 2.0 cases per 10,000 patient days, ranging from 0.9 cases per 10,000 patient days in Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory to 1.4 in the Northern Territory (Figure).
Figure 1: Cases of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia per 10,000 days of patient care in public hospitals, states and territories, 2010–11
Further information
Australian hospital statistics 2010–11: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia in Australian public hospitals