HARRISBURG — State officials say Pennsylvania's first comprehensive report on infections acquired in hospitals reveals a statewide rate of 2.4 for every day 1,000 patients spent in a hospital.

Department of Health officials said Thursday its report established a baseline for how a hospital's performance in reducing infections will be judged in the future.

The state provides incentive payments to health care facilities that reduce infections by 10 percent over the previous year.

Some of the 250 hospitals in the 2009 report also reported infections in 2008. Based on those figures, health officials say health-care associated infections dropped by more than 12 percent.

The reporting by hospitals is required by a 2007 law. Pennsylvania's hospitals and nursing homes must promptly report patient infections and take measures to reduce them.