Race, Rurality-Related Inequities May Predict Healthcare-Associated Infection Risk In Adult Inpatients, Study Finds

Infectious Disease Advisor (5/5, Basilio) reports a study found that “factors such as structural racism and disinvestment in rural communities may predict individual health care-associated infection (HAI) risk and adverse HAI outcomes among adult inpatients.” Among patients who developed HAIs, researchers observed that “the median length of hospital stay was 19 days, and the median number of inpatient days prior to infection onset was 7. The researchers observed the highest rate of HAIs among Black rural patients (4.1%), followed by White rural (3.9%), White urban (3.1%), and Black urban patients (2.7%). In the adjusted analysis, the risk for HAI was lower among Black vs White urban patients and higher among White rural vs White urban patients.” In addition, “the overall rate of HAI-associated mortality was 17.5%, with the highest risk observed among Black rural patients.” The study was published in JAMA Network Open.