Pregnancy Advisory Centre

What other information is available?

More information on these data are available in the Admitted patient care 2021–22: What services were provided? data tables.

Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.

Acute care

An episode of Acute care for an admitted patient is one in which the principal clinical intent is to do one or more of the following:

• manage labour (obstetric)
• cure illness or provide definitive treatment of injury
• perform surgery
• relieve symptoms of illness or injury (excluding palliative care)
• reduce severity of illness or injury
• protect against exacerbation and/or complication of an illness and/or injury which could threaten life or normal functions
• perform diagnostic or therapeutic procedures

Rehabilitation care

Rehabilitation care is care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the functioning of a patient with an impairment, activity limitation, or participation restriction due to a health condition.

Rehabilitation care is always:

• delivered under the management of or informed by a clinician with specialised expertise in rehabilitation
• evidenced by an individualised multidisciplinary management plan, which is documented in the patient’s medical record, which includes negotiated goals within specified time frames and formal assessment of functional ability.

Palliative care

Palliative care is defined as care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is optimisation of the quality of life of a patient with an active and advanced life-limiting illness. The patient will have complex physical, psychosocial and/or spiritual needs.

Palliative care is always:

• delivered under the management of or informed by a clinician with specialised expertise in palliative care
• evidenced by an individualised multidisciplinary assessment and management plan, which is documented in the patient's medical record that covers the physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual needs of the patient and negotiated goals.

Mental health care

Mental health care is defined in this publication as care in which the primary clinical purpose or treatment goal is improvement in the symptoms and/or psychosocial, environmental, and physical functioning related to a patient’s mental disorder.

Mental health care:

• is delivered under the management of, or regularly informed by, a clinician with specialised expertise in mental health
• is evidenced by an individualised formal mental health assessment and the implementation of a documented mental health plan
• may include significant psychosocial components, including family and carer support.

Mental health care differs from mental health-related care reported in AIHW Mental health services reports. A hospitalisation is classified as mental health-related if:

• it had a mental health-related principal diagnosis, which, for admitted patient care in this report, is defined as a principal diagnosis that is either:
• a diagnosis that falls within the section on Mental and behavioural disorders (Chapter 5) in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, Australian Modification (ICD‑10‑AM) (codes F00–F99), or
• a number of other selected diagnoses (see the technical information for a full list of applicable diagnoses), and/or
• it included any specialised psychiatric care.

For 2021–22, mental health care refers to hospitalisations for which the care type was reported as Mental health. The care type Mental health was introduced from 1 July 2015. Prior to this, mental health admitted patient activity was assigned to one of the other care types.

‘Qualified’ newborn

A day is considered ‘qualified’ for health insurance benefits purposes when a newborn meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

• the newborn is the second or subsequent live born infant of a multiple birth, whose mother is currently an admitted patient
• the newborn is admitted to an intensive care facility in a hospital, being a facility approved by the Commonwealth Minister for the purpose of the provision of special care
• the newborn is admitted to or remains in hospital without its mother.

A newborn admission to hospital can occur at any time within the first 9 days of life, including at the time of birth.

‘Unqualified’ newborn

The reporting of unqualified newborns has changed over time and varies across jurisdictions. Prior to 2017–18, newborn episodes involving unqualified care were routinely excluded from national reporting on the basis that they did not meet admission criteria for all purposes. However, due to changes in Newborn care practices (such as, care being provided to unqualified newborns on the ward rather than in a special care nursery) stakeholders have expressed interest in the reporting of all newborn episodes, regardless of qualification status.

Nationally, in 2020–21:

• there were 1,535 cases of SABSI in public hospitals during 20.7 million patient days of care – an average of 29 cases per week. This is equivalent to a rate of 0.74 cases per 10,000 public hospital patient days.
• 17% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 83% were MSSA cases.

Of the 680 (98%) public hospitals in Australia that contributed data, 190 (27%) hospitals reported at least one SABSI case.

Rates varied by the type of hospital (peer group) – from 0.36 per 10,000 patient days in Small hospitals to 0.98 in Major hospitals which, along with Children's hospitals (0.95), 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, with rates ranging from 0.66 in the Northern Territory to 0.97 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 2020–21. 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 0.3 cases per 10,000 patient days to 0.1 cases. These cases accounted for 27% of all SABSI cases in 2010–11 compared with 17% of all cases in 2020–21.

In 2020–21, 130 (20%) private hospitals voluntarily submitted SABSI data to the data collection. The rate of private hospital participation in the NSABDC was calculated using counts of all private hospitals from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Private Health Establishments Collection (2016–17 data). Due to the participation rate, 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 2020–21:

• there were 229 cases of SABSI in private hospitals during 5.8 million private hospital patient days – an average of 4.4 cases per week. This is equivalent to a rate of 0.40 cases per 10,000 private hospital patient days.
• 14% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 86% were MSSA cases.

The interactive table in the data visualisation above presents data on SABSI healthcare-associated infections by hospital between 2010–11 and 2020–21 – see 'Hospitals' tab. It includes both public and private hospitals.

Summary tables

See the Hospital Safety and Quality theme page for more 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.

The SABSI rate is calculated as the number of healthcare-associated cases (patient-episodes) of Staphylococcus aureus divided by the total number of patient days under surveillance (x 10,000).

For more information about data quality and methods see:

• National Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia Data Collection, 2020–21: Quality Statement
• Healthcare-associated infections National Best Endeavours Data Set 2016–21
• Australian Health Performance Framework: PI 2.2.2–Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections, 2021.

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

Australian Health Performance Framework – Healthcare associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections

Health Direct – Staph infections

Previous releases

AIHW – Bloodstream infections associated with hospital care 2019–20

Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.

More information about these data can be found in Hospital resources 2020–21 data tables.

Definitions of the terms used in this section are available in the Glossary.

Specialised service units 

Types of specialised service unit include:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the treatment of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients.
• Acute renal dialysis unit - A specialised facility dedicated to dialysis of renal failure patients requiring acute care.
• Acute spinal cord injury unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the initial treatment and subsequent ongoing management and rehabilitation of patients with acute spinal cord injury, largely conforming to Australian Health Minister’s Advisory Council guidelines for service provision.
• Alcohol and drug unit - A facility/service dedicated to the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence.
• Bone marrow transplantation unit - A specialised facility for bone marrow transplantation.
• Burns unit (level III) - A specialised facility dedicated to the initial treatment and subsequent rehabilitation of the severely injured burns patient (usually >10 per cent of the patient’s body surface affected).
• Cardiac surgery unit - A specialised facility dedicated to operative and peri-operative care of patients with cardiac disease.
• Clinical genetics unit - A specialised facility dedicated to diagnostic and counselling services for clients who are affected by, at risk of, or anxious about genetic disorders.
• Comprehensive epilepsy centre - A specialised facility dedicated to seizure characterisation, evaluation of therapeutic regimes, pre-surgical evaluation and epilepsy surgery for patients with refractory epilepsy.
• Coronary care unit - A specialised facility dedicated to acute care services for patients with cardiac diseases.
• Diabetes unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the treatment of diabetics.
• Domiciliary care service - A facility/service dedicated to the provision of nursing or other professional paramedical care or treatment and non-qualified domestic assistance to patients in their own homes or in residential institutions not part of the establishment.
• Geriatric assessment unit - Facilities dedicated to the Commonwealth-approved assessment of the level of dependency of (usually) aged individuals either for purposes of initial admission to a long-stay institution or for purposes of reassessment of dependency levels of existing long-stay institution residents.
• Heart, lung transplantation unit - A specialised facility for heart including heart lung transplantation.
• Hospice care unit - A facility dedicated to the provision of palliative care to terminally ill patients.
• In-vitro fertilisation unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the investigation of infertility provision of in-vitro fertilisation services.
• Infectious diseases unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the treatment of infectious diseases.
• Intensive care unit (level III) - A specialised facility dedicated to the care of paediatric and adult patients requiring intensive care and sophisticated technological support services.
• Liver transplantation unit - A specialised facility for liver transplantation.
• Maintenance renal dialysis centre - A specialised facility dedicated to maintenance dialysis of renal failure patients. It may be a separate facility (possibly located on hospital grounds) or known as a satellite centre or a hospital-based facility but is not a facility solely providing training services.
• Major plastic/reconstructive surgery unit - A specialised facility dedicated to general purpose plastic and specialised reconstructive surgery, including maxillofacial, microsurgery and hand surgery.
• Neonatal intensive care unit (level III) - A specialised facility dedicated to the care of neonates requiring care and sophisticated technological support. Patients usually require intensive cardiorespiratory monitoring, sustained assistance ventilation, long-term oxygen administration and parenteral nutrition.
• Neurosurgical unit - A specialised facility dedicated to the surgical treatment of neurological conditions.
• Nursing home care unit - A facility dedicated to the provision of nursing home care.
• Obstetric/maternity - A specialised facility dedicated to the care of obstetric/maternity patients.
• Oncology unit, cancer treatment - A specialised facility dedicated to multidisciplinary investigation, management, rehabilitation and support services for cancer patients. Treatment services include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
• Pancreas transplantation unit - A specialised facility for pancreas transplantation.
• Psychiatric unit/ward - A specialised unit/ward dedicated to the treatment and care of admitted patients with psychiatric, mental, or behavioural disorders.
• Rehabilitation unit - Dedicated units within recognised hospitals which provide post-acute rehabilitation and are designed as such by the State health authorities.
• Renal transplantation unit - A specialised facility for renal transplantation.
• Sleep centre - A specialised facility linked to a sleep laboratory dedicated to the investigation and management of sleep disorders.
• Specialist paediatric - A specialised facility dedicated to the care of children aged 14 or less is provided within an establishment.