Hospitals
Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections
Healthcare-associated infections are one of the most common complications affecting patients in hospital and can prolong a patient’s hospital stay or result in death. Infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus (also known as ‘golden staph’ or S. aureus), can be acquired as a direct or indirect result of care received in hospital.
What is Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections?
Staphylococcus aureus is a type of bacteria commonly found inside the nose and on the skin. However, if the bacteria enters the bloodstream a Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SABSI) can occur.
Developing SABSI can be life-threatening and hospitals aim to minimise cases by implementing infection prevention and control policies, including good hygiene practices. Surveillance and reporting of healthcare-associated SABSI rates in hospitals helps to improve patient safety.
Types of SABSI
The two types of SABSI reported on are:
- methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), which can be treated with commonly used antibiotics, and
- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which resists treatment by many types of antibiotics, and is associated with poorer patient outcomes.
Data on healthcare associated infections associated with hospital care are presented in the following data visualisation and summarised in the sections below. The data presented are for the latest year for which national data are available, and over time.
This data visualisation contains 4 tabs: Number and rate of SABSI in public hospitals for 2024–25, number and rates over time from 2015–16 to 2024–25, and by hospital between 2014–15 and 2024–25.
Nationally, in 2024–25:
- there were 1,749 cases of SABSI in public hospitals during 23.5 million patient days of care – an average of 34 cases across 452,000 days of patient care per week
- this is equivalent to a rate of 0.74 cases per 10,000 public hospital patient days under surveillance (i.e. for hospitals included in the surveillance arrangements)
- 12.8% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 87.2% were MSSA cases.
Of the 702 public hospitals in Australia that contributed data, 199 (28%) hospitals reported at least one SABSI case.
Rates varied by the type of hospital (peer group) – from 0.44 per 10,000 patient days in Small hospitals to 1.18 per 10,000 patient days in Children’s hospitals which, along with Major hospitals (0.89) are more likely to deliver services with a higher risk of SABSI.
All states and territories met the national benchmark
All states and territories achieved rates below the current nationally-agreed performance benchmark of 1.0 case per 10,000 patient days. Rates per 10,000 patient days ranged from 0.62 in South Australia to 0.99 in the Australian Capital Territory.
Trends over time
Overall, SABSI rates have decreased at the national level from 1.09 cases per 10,000 patient days in 2010–11 to 0.74 in 2024–25. Rates by state/territory fluctuate from year to year.
On 1 July 2020, the agreed national benchmark changed from no more than 2.0 cases of healthcare-associated SABSI per 10,000 days of patient care to no more than 1.0 case.
Since 2010–11, rates of healthcare-associated MRSA have also declined – from 0.29 cases per 10,000 patient days to 0.09 cases in 2024–25. These cases accounted for 27% of all SABSI cases in 2010–11 compared with 13% of all cases in 2024–25.
In 2024–25, 137 private hospitals (22%) voluntarily submitted SABSI data to the data collection. The rate of private hospital participation in the NSABDC was calculated using the 633 private hospital listed in the Australian Government Department of Health’s list of Commonwealth Declared Hospitals as of 28 Oct 2025.
Due to the participation rate among private hospitals, data may not be representative of the private hospital sector as a whole. Also, data provided by public and private hospitals should not be compared, as the procedures, types of cases and patients treated, and therefore the risk of healthcare-associated SABSI in each sector, differ.
In 2024–25:
- there were 178 cases of SABSI in private hospitals during 5.8 million private hospital patient days. This is equivalent to a rate of 0.31 cases per 10,000 private hospital patient days.
- 6.2% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 94% were MSSA cases.
See the Admitted patient safety and quality page for data downloads for healthcare-associated infections in public and private hospitals.
Data are from the AIHW National Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia Data Collection (NSABDC). NSABDC data are supplied by all states and territories for public hospitals, and participating private hospitals provide data directly. The data may be updated from time to time as more data is submitted or amended data is re-supplied.
- The SABSI rate is calculated as the number of healthcare-associated cases 4 (patient-episodes) of Staphylococcus aureus divided by the total number of patient days under surveillance x 10,000 (that is, only for hospitals included in the surveillance arrangements)
For more information about data quality and methods see:
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) – Antimicrobial resistance
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) – Surveillance for Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infection (SABSI)
- Australian Government Department of Health – Antimicrobial resistance
- Health Direct – Staph infections
Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.