Predicting mortality across hospital departments: A machine learning approach for various health care-associated infections

Iman Heidari, Mohammad Mehdi Sepehri,
Predicting mortality across hospital departments: A machine learning approach for various health care-associated infections,
American Journal of Infection Control,
2025,
,
ISSN 0196-6553,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2025.09.004.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196655325005784)
Abstract: Background
Health care-associated infections (HAIs) pose a serious challenge to health care systems. Early identification of high-risk patients is crucial for optimizing resource allocation and preventive screening. This study develops and evaluates machine learning (ML) models to predict mortality in HAI patients across different hospital wards.
Methods
This cross-sectional study analyzed a dataset of 4,346 HAI-diagnosed patients from a 700-bed hospital in Tehran, Iran, spanning March 2018 to January 2023. The dataset included demographics, clinical factors, and laboratory results. We applied 4 ML algorithms: multilayer perceptron (MLP), extreme gradient boosting, gradient boosting machines, and decision trees. Model performance was assessed using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.
Results
MLP achieved the highest accuracy (91%) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.95), outperforming extreme gradient boosting, gradient boosting machines, and decision trees. Learning curves and cross-validation confirmed its robustness and generalizability.
Conclusions
ML techniques, particularly MLP, effectively predict mortality in HAI patients across hospital departments. By enabling targeted interventions and optimized resource allocation, MLP models can significantly improve HAI management and patient outcomes. Integrating these models into clinical decision support systems may enhance patient care and reduce the burden of HAIs.
Keywords: Machine learning; Multilayer perceptron; Mortality prediction; Clinical decision support