But hundreds of thousands of patients are still affected each year
FRIDAY, March 4, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Although U.S. hospitals are making gains in the fight against some antibiotic-resistant bacteria, too many patients are still affected in health care facilities, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In hospitals, one in seven infections from catheters or surgery were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. In long-term acute care hospitals, where patients generally stay 25 days or more, the rate of these infections rises to one in four, according to the new report. The six common antibiotic-resistant bacteria are: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (extended-spectrum β-lactamases); vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus; multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa; and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter.
Some of the report’s major findings on acute care hospitals included a 50 percent reduction seen in infections from catheters placed in large veins between 2008 and 2014; one in six of these remaining infections were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A 17 percent reduction in surgical-site infections was seen between 2008 and 2014; one in seven of these remaining infections were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. No change in overall infections from urinary catheters was seen between 2009 and 2014. But some progress was made by the end of 2014. Still, one in 10 of these infections were caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
To combat the problem of antibiotic-resistant infections, the CDC is calling on physicians, nurses, and hospital staff to continue to prevent the spread of bacteria between patients. The CDC is also asking health care professionals to reduce infections related to surgery and placement of catheters. The agency is also calling for cautious use of antibiotics to help fight resistance.
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