Oregon's hospitals are doing better than average when it comes to the number of people getting infections after they're admitted. But problems remain.
One in of every 20 patients admitted to an Oregon hospital will contract an infection.
But the odds are getting better.
For example central line infections, these are infections associated with a semi-permanent IV inserted into a patient's vein to draw blood and administer medications. They've decreased 65 percent over the last five years.
"We're extremely pleased with the progress that Oregon is making with infection prevention," said Bethany Walmsley of the Oregon Patient Safety Commission.
But the study also found a nasty infection dubbed C. Diff that can result from the over-use of antibiotics, increased by 10 percent in one year.
"Hospitals need to pay attention because too much of a good thing is not a good thing, right?" said Diane Waldo, with the Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.
Health care acquired infections are among the top 10 leading causes of death in the US.
Health Care Acquired Infections Report - 2009-2013 Oregon
Copyright 2014 Oregon Public Broadcasting