CDC Proposes Coordination Between Hospitals to Slash 'Superbug' Infections

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that antibiotic-resistant germs, those that no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them, cause more than two million illnesses and at least 23,000 deaths every year in the United States. The fight against drug-resistant 'superbugs' is one of President Barack Obama's major public health priorities. The CDC suggested that simple coordination between hospitals, nursing homes and health authorities could slash the number of drug-resistant 'superbug' infections and save thousands of US lives. A CDC report said, "Hospitals and nursing homes strive to control infections but rarely report to one another when a patient being transferred is carrying antibiotic-resistant bacteria, greatly increasing the risk of spreading infections. With better coordination the United States could reduce such potentially deadly infections by 70% and save 37,000 lives over five years."

CDC Director Tom Frieden said, "Antibiotic-resistant infections in health care settings are a growing threat in the United States, killing thousands and thousands of people each year. We can dramatically reduce these infections if health care facilities, nursing homes, and public health departments work together to improve antibiotic use and infection control so patients are protected."

The CDC warned that without better coordination, cases will keep growing, demanding an urgent improvement. The CDC said, "Other ways health facilities can better work together include sharing data about antibiotic resistance."

Beth Bell, director of CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, said, "We must transform our public health response to turn the tide. The coordinated response this Vital Signs report describes is a forward-looking approach."

Source-AFP