U.S. study aims to prove private rooms reduce fatal hospital-acquired bloodstream infections

This University of North Texas study found patients who stay in private rooms as opposed to double occupancy rooms have a reduced risk of central line infections (CLI), a hospital-acquired infection that causes thousands of deaths in the U.S. and can cost an estimated US$3,700 to US$29,000 (no equivalent Canadian figures available). Additional findings include:

• Patients in double occupancy rooms, had 64% more CLIs than patients who stayed in private rooms. 
• After the researchers adjusted for patient characteristics and risk factors, patients who stayed in double occupancy rooms still had a 21% greater risk of a CLI compared with patients in private rooms. 
• Hospitals with mostly private rooms had 33% fewer central line infections than hospitals with mostly bay rooms.

The study’s author wants these findings to change the conversation in hospital boardrooms from "How much will private rooms cost?" to "How many lives will they save?"