Bloodstream infection rates have remained relatively consistent in the United States over the past decade, with most acquired in the community, according to an analysis of nearly 2 million inpatient encounters with children published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

“It is unclear if both [community-acquired infections (CAIs)] and [hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)] are decreasing, and what impacts each of these rates is having on the rates of [bloodstream infections (BSIs)] in children,” Alicen B. Spaulding, PhD, MPH, a scientific investigator at Children’s Minnesota, and colleagues wrote. “Knowing which pathogens are causing BSIs is important for informing empiric antimicrobial therapy guidelines, tracking resistance patterns and targeting infection prevention strategies.”