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What is SABSI?
Staphylococcus aureus (also known as golden staph or S. aureus) is a usually harmless 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.
Contracting 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.
Healthcare-associated infections
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
This data visualisation contains 4 tabs:
1. Column graph showing number and rate of SABSI in public hospitals for 2022–23
2. Line graph showing number and rate of SABSI in public hospitals over time from 2015–16 to 2022–23.
3. Table showing SABSI number and rates by hospital between 2010–11 and 2022–23. Data is able to be filtered by type of SABSI, public/private sector, hospital peer group.
4. Data notes.
Nationally, in 2022–23:
- there were 1,668 cases of SABSI in public hospitals during 22.5 million patient days of care – an average of 32 cases per week. This is equivalent to a rate of 0.74 cases per 10,000 public hospital patient days.
- 16.4% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 83.6% were MSSA cases.
Of the 700 public hospitals in Australia that contributed data, 203 (29%) hospitals reported at least one SABSI case.
Rates varied by the type of hospital (peer group) – from 0.46 per 10,000 patient days in Small hospitals to 1.04 in Children’s hospitals which, along with Major hospitals (0.91) are more likely to deliver services with a higher risk of SABSI.
Seven 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, except Tasmania. Rates ranged from 0.56 in South Australia to 1.04 in Tasmania.
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 2022-23. 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 0.12 cases in 2022–23. These cases accounted for 27% of all SABSI cases in 2010–11 compared with 16% of all cases in 2022–23.
In 2022–23, 150 private hospitals (23%) voluntarily submitted SABSI data to the data collection. The rate of private hospital participation in the NSABDC was calculated using the 645 private hospital listed in the Australian Government Department of Health’s list of Commonwealth Declared Hospitals as of 12 April 2024. 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 2022–23:
- there were 207 cases of SABSI in private hospitals during 6.0 million private hospital patient days. This is equivalent to a rate of 0.35 cases per 10,000 private hospital patient days.
- 14% of SABSI cases were resistant to antimicrobial treatment (MRSA) and 86% were MSSA cases.
See the Hospital Safety and Quality theme 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.
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:
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC) – Antimicrobial resistance
Australian Government Department of Health – Antimicrobial resistance
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.
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Why is hand hygiene important?
Hand hygiene refers to the washing of hands or use of alcohol-based rubs. Good hand hygiene is a first-line defence against viruses and infections, such as COVID-19, influenza and Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. This is especially important for hospital patients whose immune systems may already be weakened due to existing health conditions, or medical treatment they are undergoing, such as surgery.
How is hand hygiene measured in hospitals?
Hand hygiene amongst healthcare workers in hospitals is continuously monitored through hand hygiene audits, and data are reported for three consecutive audit periods a year for participating hospitals as part of the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) coordinated by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). In the last audit period (November 2022 to March 2023), data are reported here for 619 public hospitals, which is over 90% of the 680 public hospitals listed on the Australian Government Department of Health’s list of Commonwealth Declared Hospitals as at 31 October 2022.
There are certain times when the risk of healthcare workers transmitting disease in hospitals is greater. Known as hand hygiene ‘moments’, these are:
- before touching a patient (Moment 1)
- before a procedure (Moment 2)
- after a procedure or body fluid exposure risk (Moment 3)
- after touching a patient (Moment 4)
- after touching a patient’s surroundings (Moment 5).
Hand hygiene compliance rates are calculated by dividing the number of compliant hand hygiene moments by the number of moments observed by auditors. Since 2017 the national benchmark for hand hygiene compliance has been 80%.
Hand hygiene compliance for each audit period is reported here for public hospitals at national, and individual-hospital levels, as well as by hand-hygiene moment and healthcare-worker group.
Hand hygiene
All data in these visualisations are available for download in the Data & downloads section of the MyHospitals website.
Hospitals and LHNs
This figure shows hand hygiene rates and observed hand hygiene moments for several audit periods. Data are presented by measure (hand hygiene rate and observed hand hygiene moments). Hospital and national data are available.
Time series
This figure shows hand hygiene compliance between 2012 and 2023. Data is presented by audit period and hospital.
Hand hygiene in public hospitals
The latest national-level data (from Audit period November 2022 to March 2023), show:
- the national hand hygiene compliance rate was 86% – above the 80% national benchmark
- hand hygiene for each of the 5 moments was also above the benchmark:
- before touching a patient: 83%
- before a procedure: 91%
- after a procedure or body fluid exposure risk: 93%
- after touching a patient: 89%
- after touching a patient’s surroundings: 81%
- the highest rates of hand hygiene were among:
- dental professionals, for example, dentists’ compliance was 94%
- nurses and midwives: 89%
- the following healthcare-worker groups did not meet the 80% benchmark:
- doctors (medical practitioners): 76%
- ambulance workers: 69%
- domestic staff (for example, food services, cleaning and maintenance workers): 76%.
The ACSQHC (2023) reports that for Audit period 1 of 2023 the highest rates of compliance were in departments for:
- dentistry: 93%
- renal care: 90%
- neonatal care, mental health care, ambulatory care, oncology/haematology, palliative care (89%).
Emergency department (78%) was the only department type that did not been the 80% benchmark.
Hand hygiene in your hospital
The interactive table in the data visualisation above presents data on hand hygiene by participating public hospitals from 2010 onwards – see 'Hospitals' tab.
Data downloads
See the Hospital Safety and Quality theme page for more data downloads for hand hygiene in public hospitals from 2010 onwards.
There are a number of factors contributing to hospital hand hygiene compliance rates, including the type of clinical care provided, hand hygiene product placement and availability; and staff awareness of and compliance with infection prevention and control strategies.
For more information about data quality and methods see:
- Hand Hygiene National Best endeavours data set, 2012– (data set specification)
- National hand hygiene data collection 2012– (quality statement).
The number of public hospitals is from the Australian Government Department of Health List of declared hospitals from 2022.
Related information
National Hand Hygiene Initiative (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare – ACSQHC)