Washington Times Examines Efforts To Prevent Hospital-Acquired Infections

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 01 Jun 2006 - 7:00 PDT

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The Washington Times on Monday examined increased efforts by medical centers to prevent hospital-acquired infections. An estimated one in 20 patients contract infections during hospital stays, and about 90,000 die annually as a result of such infections, according to the Times. CDC recently awarded $10 million to five medical centers to research new approaches to prevent hospital-acquired infections, which often are difficult to treat because of resistance to antibiotics. For example, Washington Hospital Center displays posters with pictures of staff members to remind employees about hand washing, the most effective approach to prevent hospital-acquired infections. "You cannot go 10 feet without exposure to alcohol containers (on the wall) enabling the hospital worker to wash his hands," Nancy Donegan, director of infection control at WHC, said. She added, "We provide all kinds of packaged education to try to keep the issue relevant. It's sort of what people learned from their mothers when they were three years old." In addition, Shmeul Shoham, an attending physician in infectious diseases at WHC, has invented gelFast, an antiseptic alcohol gel dispenser worn at the waist that allows WTC employees to sanitize their hands between visits to patients (Geracimos, Washington Times, 5/30).

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