Great article in Washington Post today – Read it here.
“Each year, an estimated 1.7 million hospital patients develop infections, each of which adds thousands of dollars to the cost of treatment. And some patients pay the highest price: Hospital infections kill approximately 99,000 Americans a year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the source of these estimates; actual numbers are unknown because hospitals in most states are not required to tally and report infections…”
“The three infection-control measures are: how often preventive antibiotics are given in the hour before surgery, how often the right antibiotic is chosen and how often the drug therapy is halted within 24 hours.
“Certain hospitals are more diligent than others in making sure these practices are being followed,” says Lisa McGiffert, manager for Consumers Union’s “Stop Hospital Infections” campaign.”
Read more – click on the Link.