Calvary - St John's Hospital

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:

• National Staphylococcus aureus Bacteraemia Data Collection, 2022–23 Quality Statement
• Healthcare-associated infections Nation Best Endeavours Data Set 2021–23
  
• Australian Health Performance Framework: PI 2.2.2–Healthcare-associated Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections, 2022.

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.