Central line statistics at a glance
Central line infections remain a major patient-safety problem because the numbers still land in the thousands every year, even after decades of prevention work. The most useful way to read the data is to compare trend lines, setting-specific burden, and the practical effect of prevention measures side by side.
Table of contents
- What central line statistics measure
- The latest national estimate
- How the burden changed over time
- Where the infections occur
- Why the outcome matters
- What prevention evidence shows
- How to read the state-level report
- What the older CDC estimates still add
What central line statistics measure
The statistics in this article focus on CLABSI, or central line-associated bloodstream infection. That is the core measurement used in the source statistics, and it is the number behind the broader public discussion of central line safety.
The source data also show why the topic matters operationally. CLABSIs can prolong hospital stay, increase cost, and increase mortality risk (CDC NHSN 2026 manual). Those three effects make the metric useful not just as an infection count, but as a proxy for patient harm, resource use, and avoidable disruption.
Fast facts
- CDC estimates 18,100 CLABSIs still occur each year in ICU and ward settings in U.S. acute care facilities (CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
- That estimate reflects a 10% decrease from 2023 to 2024 (CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
- CDC estimated 30,100 CLABSIs per year in ICU and ward settings in the 2023 NHSN manual (CDC NHSN 2023 manual).
- CDC estimated 43,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2001 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- CDC estimated 18,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- CDC estimated 23,000 inpatient-ward CLABSIs in 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
The latest national estimate
The most current estimate in the supplied statistics is 18,100 annual CLABSIs in ICU and ward settings in U.S. acute care facilities (CDC NHSN 2026 manual). That number is lower than the 30,100 annual estimate in the 2023 NHSN manual (CDC NHSN 2023 manual), which means the newer estimate points to meaningful progress rather than a flat trend.
A simple way to interpret the change is to treat the 2023 figure as the earlier benchmark and the 2026 figure as the newer reference point. The decline from 30,100 to 18,100 is consistent with the stated 10% decrease from 2023 to 2024 in the CDC NHSN 2026 manual, but the key takeaway is not the arithmetic itself. The key takeaway is that the burden is still substantial even after the reduction.
Selected recent benchmark values
| Measure | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Annual CLABSIs in ICU and ward settings | 18,100 | CDC NHSN 2026 manual |
| Earlier annual estimate | 30,100 | CDC NHSN 2023 manual |
| Change from 2023 to 2024 | 10% decrease | CDC NHSN 2026 manual |
| National acute care CLABSI SIR change | 9% decrease vs 2023 | CDC 2024 HAI report |
| ICU CLABSI SIR change | 10% decrease vs 2023 | CDC 2024 HAI report |
| Ward CLABSI SIR change | 9% decrease vs 2023 | CDC 2024 HAI report |
That table is useful because it shows both the count-based view and the standardized-rate view. Counts tell you the burden. SIR trends tell you whether performance is improving relative to the baseline used in the surveillance system.
How the burden changed over time
The historical CDC estimates show a long decline in ICU CLABSIs. CDC estimated 43,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2001, then 18,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011). The decline across those years was 58% (CDC Vital Signs 2011). CDC also reported that the 2009 ICU reduction represented 25,000 fewer CLABSIs than in 2001 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
That older trend matters because it shows the problem is not static. The surveillance story is one of progress, but also of persistent burden. Even in the era of reduced ICU CLABSI counts, CDC still estimated 23,000 inpatient-ward CLABSIs in 2009 and 37,000 outpatient-hemodialysis CLABSIs in 2008 (CDC Vital Signs 2011). So the burden was not limited to one setting.
A broader national estimates study covered nonneonatal critical care patients during 1990-2010 and estimated 462,000 to 636,000 CLABSIs over that span (CDC national estimates study). That same study found CLABSI rate reductions prevented 104,000 to 198,000 infections versus an unchanged-rate scenario since 1990 (CDC national estimates study). Those are large enough numbers to show that prevention has not just shifted timing or location; it has prevented infections outright.
Historical numbers that show the scale of change
- 43,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2001 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- 18,000 ICU CLABSIs in 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- 23,000 inpatient-ward CLABSIs in 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- 37,000 outpatient-hemodialysis CLABSIs in 2008 (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
- 462,000 to 636,000 CLABSIs in nonneonatal critical care patients during 1990-2010 (CDC national estimates study).
Where the infections occur
The supplied statistics separate out ICU, ward, inpatient, and outpatient-hemodialysis settings. That is important because central line risk is not concentrated in a single location. It moves with where patients are cared for, how long devices stay in place, and how consistently prevention practices are used.
The 2026 annual estimate combines ICU and ward settings in U.S. acute care facilities and lands at 18,100 CLABSIs (CDC NHSN 2026 manual). The 2023 manual estimated 30,100 in the same broad ICU and ward categories (CDC NHSN 2023 manual). The older Vital Signs estimates show the earlier burden was split across ICU, inpatient wards, and outpatient hemodialysis, with each setting carrying a sizeable share (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
Setting-by-setting comparison
| Setting | Estimate | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| ICU CLABSIs in 2001 | 43,000 | CDC Vital Signs 2011 |
| ICU CLABSIs in 2009 | 18,000 | CDC Vital Signs 2011 |
| Inpatient-ward CLABSIs in 2009 | 23,000 | CDC Vital Signs 2011 |
| Outpatient-hemodialysis CLABSIs in 2008 | 37,000 | CDC Vital Signs 2011 |
| ICU and ward CLABSIs annually | 18,100 | CDC NHSN 2026 manual |
The practical reading is straightforward. ICU settings may get the most attention because of acuity, but the numbers show wards and outpatient hemodialysis cannot be treated as secondary concerns. If a prevention program only focuses on one setting, it risks missing a substantial part of the burden.
Why the outcome matters
The source statistics do not stop at infection counts. They also connect CLABSI to longer stays, higher costs, and higher mortality risk (CDC NHSN 2026 manual). That makes the topic multidimensional. A central line infection is not just a lab-confirmed event; it is a downstream trigger for complications and expense.
The older CDC Vital Signs summary provides even sharper context. CDC estimated 6,000 lives were saved in 2009 because of fewer ICU CLABSIs (CDC Vital Signs 2011). At the same time, CDC estimated $414 million in potential excess healthcare costs in 2009 from CLABSIs and about $1.8 billion in cumulative excess healthcare costs since 2001 from CLABSIs (CDC Vital Signs 2011). Those figures explain why even incremental progress matters. When the baseline burden is high, reductions translate into both clinical and economic gains.
CDC also reported CLABSI mortality of 12% to 25% (CDC Vital Signs 2011). That range is wide, but either end is high enough to justify close attention. It also reinforces why infection prevention is measured so closely in hospitals.
The outcome chain in plain terms
- More CLABSIs means more prolonged hospital stays (CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
- More CLABSIs means higher cost (CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
- More CLABSIs means greater mortality risk (CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
- Fewer ICU CLABSIs were associated with lives saved and lower excess cost in CDC’s older analysis (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
What prevention evidence shows
The supplied source statistics include several prevention-oriented findings that help explain why the national numbers have improved. The prevention evidence is not a single magic intervention. It is a set of interventions and practice changes, each with a measurable effect.
One CDC prevention summary reports that a meta-analysis of 4,143 catheters found chlorhexidine preparation reduced catheter-related infection risk by 49% (CDC prevention strategies). The same source says chlorhexidine use was associated with a 1.6% decrease in CRBSI incidence, a 0.23% decrease in death incidence, and $113 saved per catheter used (CDC prevention strategies). Those figures point in the same direction: a relatively simple preventive step can affect both clinical and financial outcomes.
Other prevention findings in the supplied statistics include a catheter-sleeve study with 166 catheters and a reduced CRBSI risk with P = .002 (CDC prevention strategies). There is also evidence in the umbilical-catheter base showing 40% to 55% of umbilical artery catheters were colonized, while umbilical artery catheters had a 5% CRBSI rate and umbilical vein catheters had 3% to 8% CRBSI rates (CDC prevention strategies). Even though those are not the same as adult acute-care central line counts, they show how infection risk can vary by device type and preventive approach.
Prevention findings worth keeping in view
| Prevention finding | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Chlorhexidine reduced catheter-related infection risk | 49% | CDC prevention strategies |
| Chlorhexidine associated with lower CRBSI incidence | 1.6% decrease | CDC prevention strategies |
| Chlorhexidine associated with lower death incidence | 0.23% decrease | CDC prevention strategies |
| Chlorhexidine saved per catheter used | $113 | CDC prevention strategies |
| Catheter-sleeve study sample | 166 catheters | CDC prevention strategies |
| Catheter-sleeve study result | Reduced CRBSI risk, P = .002 | CDC prevention strategies |
The important pattern is that prevention benefits show up at multiple levels. Some interventions reduce infection risk directly. Some reduce colonization. Some reduce associated death or cost. Taken together, they help explain how national rates can fall while the burden remains materially high.
How to read the state-level report
The 2024 HAI report adds a geographic layer to the national story. CDC’s 2024 HAI report includes data from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands (CDC 2024 HAI report). That broad coverage matters because it makes the benchmark more comparable across jurisdictions.
The report showed a 9% national CLABSI SIR decrease versus 2023 in acute care hospitals (CDC 2024 HAI report). It also showed ICU CLABSI SIRs decreased 10% from 2023 to 2024 and ward CLABSI SIRs decreased 9% from 2023 to 2024 (CDC 2024 HAI report). Those are not cosmetic changes. They show improvement across the main acute-care settings in the report.
The state performance detail is especially useful when paired with the baseline comparison. Acute care hospitals in 46 states performed better than the 2015 baseline for CLABSI (CDC 2024 HAI report). IRFs in 8 states performed better than the 2015 baseline, and LTACHs in 11 states performed better than the 2015 baseline (CDC 2024 HAI report). Only one state performed worse than the 2015 baseline for CLABSI in acute care hospitals, no state performed worse than the baseline in IRFs, and four states performed worse than the baseline in LTACHs (CDC 2024 HAI report).
State-report takeaways
- The national direction is better, but not uniform across settings (CDC 2024 HAI report).
- Acute care hospital performance was better than the 2015 baseline in 46 states (CDC 2024 HAI report).
- LTACHs had more states below baseline than IRFs, which suggests setting-specific challenges remain (CDC 2024 HAI report).
- A national average can hide the fact that some settings still need more targeted work (CDC 2024 HAI report).
What the older CDC estimates still add
The older CDC estimates still matter because they help define the long arc of the problem. The 2011 Vital Signs summary gives a snapshot of a much larger burden and shows that improvements were already visible in ICU settings by 2009 (CDC Vital Signs 2011). The national estimates study extends that story by quantifying how many infections were prevented over two decades in nonneonatal critical care patients (CDC national estimates study).
That long-view context helps explain the modern estimates. If a reader only sees the current annual number of 18,100, it may sound abstract. If that reader also sees the 43,000 ICU estimate in 2001, the 18,000 ICU estimate in 2009, the 30,100 annual estimate in 2023, and the 18,100 annual estimate in 2026, the shape of the trend becomes much clearer (CDC Vital Signs 2011; CDC NHSN 2023 manual; CDC NHSN 2026 manual).
The same is true for costs and mortality. The excess-cost estimate of $414 million in 2009 and the cumulative $1.8 billion since 2001 show why prevention was worth the effort even when progress looked incremental year to year (CDC Vital Signs 2011). The reported mortality range of 12% to 25% explains why CLABSI remains one of the most consequential healthcare-associated infections to track (CDC Vital Signs 2011).
If you are comparing central line statistics across years, the safest reading is to keep three layers in mind at once. First, the current annual burden is still large. Second, the trend has improved materially over time. Third, setting-specific and state-specific variation means the work is not finished.