Hospitals can reduce the risk of infection after surgery by making sure they provide care that’s known to get the best results for most patients. Here are some examples:

• Giving the recommended antibiotics at the right time before surgery
• Stopping the antibiotics within the right timeframe after surgery
• Maintaining the patient’s temperature and blood glucose (sugar) at normal levels
• Removing catheters that are used to drain the bladder in a timely manner after surgery.

Hospitals can also reduce the risk of cardiac problems associated with surgery by:

• Making sure that certain prescription drugs are continued in the time before, during, and just after the surgery. This includes drugs used to control heart rhythms and blood pressure.
• Giving drugs that prevent blood clots and using other methods such as special stockings that increase circulation in the legs.

An acute myocardial infarction (AMI), also called a heart attack, happens when one of the heart’s arteries becomes blocked and the supply of blood and oxygen to part of the heart muscle is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle doesn’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the affected heart tissue may die. These measures show some of the standards of care provided, if appropriate, for most adults who have had a heart attack.

Pneumonia is a serious lung infection that causes difficulty breathing, fever, cough and fatigue. These measures show some of the recommended treatments for pneumonia. Read more information about pneumonia care.

Heart Failure is a weakening of the heart's pumping power. With heart failure, your body doesn't get enough oxygen and nutrients to meet its needs. These measures show some of the process of care provided for most adults with heart failure. Read more information about heart failure.

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes problems getting air in and out of the lungs. Children with asthma may experience wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and trouble breathing.

"30-Day Mortality" is when patients die within 30 days of their admission to a hospital. The information that follows shows the death rates for each hospital compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital.

"30-Day Readmission" is when patients who have had a recent hospital stay need to go back into a hospital again within 30 days of their discharge. Below, the rates of readmission for each hospital are compared to the U.S. National Rate. The rates take into account how sick patients were before they were admitted to the hospital. Read more information about hospital readmission measures.

These measures give you information about hospitals' use of medical imaging tests for outpatients based on the following:

• Protecting patients’ safety, such as keeping patients’ exposure to radiation and other risks as low as possible.
• Following up properly when screening tests such as mammograms show a possible problem.
• Avoiding the risk, stress, and cost of doing imaging tests that patients may not need.

The information shown here is limited to medical imaging facilities that are part of a hospital or associated with a hospital. These facilities can be inside or near the hospital, or in a different location. This information only includes medical imaging done on outpatients. Medical imaging tests done for patients who have been admitted to the hospital as inpatients aren’t included.

These measures are based on Medicare claims data.

HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) is a national survey that asks patients about their experiences during a recent hospital stay. Use the results shown here to compare hospitals based on ten important hospital quality topics.

Hospital Acquired Conditions are serious conditions that patients may get during an inpatient hospital stay. If hospitals follow proper procedures, patients are less likely to get these conditions. Medicare doesn’t pay for any of these conditions, and patients can’t be billed for them, if they got them while in the hospital. Medicare will only pay for these conditions if patients already had them when they were admitted to the hospital.

Serious Complications are based on how often adult patients had certain serious, but potentially preventable complications related to medical or surgical inpatient hospital care.

Deaths for Certain Conditions are based on how many patients with these conditions died while they were in the hospital.