HAI diagnostics market grew 10 percent in 2011

The market for products designed to test for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) grew 10 percent in 2011 to reach $1.2 billion, according to a new report from healthcare market research firm Kalorama Information.

In the report “Hospital-Acquired Infections: Testing Markets,” Kalorama said the need to combat HAIs has led to increased sales of HAI diagnostic products.

“There is room to grow in this market as incidence of these diseases continues to grow,” said Kalorama publisher Bruce Carlson. “Infections contracted in hospitals are a leading killer in the United States. There are around 35-40 million admissions each year in the United States, and a nosocomial infection rate of 5 percent of admissions. Further, this translates to significant financial burden and extended occupancy of limited inpatient resources.”

According to the report, 5 percent of the nearly 40 million hospital visits a year in the U.S. result in a HAI and nearly 100,000 people die each year from nosocomial infections.

“Some diseases are more of a priority. By and far, the most important of these are drug resistant tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) and drug resistant S. aureus, which can also cause a deadly form of nosocomial pneumonia,” said Carlson. “These are the most serious and easily spread nosocomial infections. Therefore, the greatest amount of research and development effort is flowing toward the diagnosis and MDR differentiation of infections by these two bacteria…. Speed is essential in identifying these infections, and there are a host of tests out there, targeting specific infections and offering fast results,” he said.