Experts believe hospital infections could be reduced significantly through increased handwashing and hospital cleanliness, and with better care for patients who receive catheters or are put on ventilators.

The council said the report is the first in the nation to be based on actual data from hospitals and represents a major step in the effort to track down the causes and eliminate such infections, which are considered preventable.

"It's the first time any state has been able to look at the actual toll in terms of human lives and dollars paid for preventable hospital-acquired infections," said Marc Volavka, executive director of the council, known as PHC4.

Healthcare experts say the number of infections that strike people during hospital stays has risen greatly during the past 20 years, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates they kill 90,000 people annually.

Experts believe the infections are often preventable through steps such as increased hand-washing and hospital cleanliness, and with better care for patients who receive catheters or are put on ventilators.

Businesses, because of the amount they pay for employee health benefits, also have become concerned about infections and the costs of treating them.

The PHC4 report said the infections resulted in an estimated 205,000 additional hospital days and $2 billion in hospital charges -- a figure Volavka called "astounding."

"You want to know why people's [health insurance] premiums are going up 30 percent per year?" he said.

Volavka said hospitals can use the infection data to identify which patients get infections and then determine the causes and how to prevent them.

PHC4 believes the number of infections that actually occurred in 2004 is probably higher than the number reported.

Pennsylvania's 173 general hospitals have been required to report infections since the beginning of 2004. PHC4 noted that 29 hospitals accounted for half of the reported infections, while 16 hospitals reported none, and several others submitted "invalid" data.

PHC4 said hospitals billed for 115,631 infections in 2004. While PHC4 can't tell what infections were present when patients arrived, Volavka said the number of hospital-acquired infections is probably considerably more than the 11,668 reported by the hospitals.

Carolyn F. Scanlan, president of the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said the computerized reporting process has been time-consuming and difficult for hospitals, and some are still mastering the process.

She also said hospitals are working hard to prevent infections, noting that "we need to distinguish between data reporting and hospitals paying attention to the underlying issue."

Scanlan said hospitals support the effort to collect data and publicly report on hospital infections.

"Preventing, identifying, controlling and eliminating all hospital-acquired infections is a top concern of Pennsylvania hospitals," she said.

Scanlan said the number of infections in Pennsylvania hospitals is no greater than elsewhere.

Regarding costs attributed to hospital infections in Pennsylvania, Scanlan said PHC4 counts the entire cost of treating a patient with an infection, even though the infection usually isn't the main condition being treated. She contends the true cost is lower than the amount cited by PHC4.

Volavka said PHC4 has written to hospitals and is working with the hospital association, known as HAP, to get all hospitals to submit infection data.

But he noted that the hospitals that report accurately, and "the fact that some hospitals are 'getting it,' tells the council that some hospitals may not be 'getting it' purposely."

PHC4 intends to eventually publish infection rates for every hospital. But out of fairness to hospitals, Volavka said, the council won't publish data on specific hospitals until it's sure all hospitals are reporting accurately.