Low infection rates in Philadelphia-area hospitals are questioned by some experts, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. According to the Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority’s annual report, Philadelphia hospitals had 149 hospital-acquired infections in 2005 compared to 2,054 for Pittsburgh-area hospitals. Philadelphia hospitals also reported lower rates of serious events. The Delaware Valley Healthcare Council said that Philadelphia hospitals have lower infection rates because they have reduced medication errors and the area has more specialty hospitals, such as psychiatric facilities, where infections are less common. Confusion over what to report may also have skewed the numbers, Andrew Wiggleworth, president of the Council, told the Inquirer.
