| Objective To analyze the incidence and temporal trends of healthcare-associated infections（HAIs） in a tertiary hospital from 2023 to 2025, identify risk factors, and provide scientific evidence for targeted infection prevention and control measures. Methods HAI surveillance data were collected from the Dongcheng Campus of The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between January 1, 2023, and December 20, 2025. Using R 4.3.2 software, we statistically analyzed the overall and department-specific HAI incidence rates, episode rates, major infection sites, and their annual trends. Results From 2023 to 2025, a total of 132,855 inpatients were monitored, among whom 575 cases developed HAIs, yielding an incidence rate of 0.43%; a total of 604 infection episodes were recorded, with an episode rate of 0.45%. The overall HAI incidence rate decreased from 0.54% in 2023 to 0.37% in 2025, a reduction of 31.48%, showing a significant downward trend（χ2 = 14.440, P<0.001）. Significant declines in HAI rates over time were observed in the intensive care unit, department of joint and trauma orthopedics, and department of hematology（χ2 = 14.923, P<0.05）, while the rehabilitation medicine department showed an increasing trend（P < 0.001）. Lower respiratory tract infections consistently ranked first, accounting for 56.18%, 53.07%, and 56.32% of all infections in 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively, but the trend was not statistically significant（P>0.05）. The proportions of ventilator-associated pneumonia and organ/space infections showed decreasing trends（P<0.05）. Among major predisposing factors, the proportions of invasive procedures such as catheterization and mechanical ventilation use also declined significantly（P<0.05）. Conclusion The overall HAI prevention and control in this hospital during 2023-2025 were effective, with a sustained decline in the overall incidence rate. Notable improvements were observed in high-risk departments and device-related infections. However, lower respiratory tract infections remained the predominant infection site, and the rising infection risk in the rehabilitation department warrants continued |
