Blood Infections in U.S. Hospitals Due to New Bacteria

The CDC recently announced that a bug known as the Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has infiltrated some hospitals. These bacteria can severely harm or kill the patients that become infected with it, and the government is calling health care facilities to guard against the spread of the disease due to these blood infections. The New York Daily News reports that the bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and that half of all men and women that are infected will die from the dangerous germs. Studies show that CRE is present in four percent of all United States hospitals in the first half of 2012 and is present in 18 percent of all specialty hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to rally the staff at hospitals and nursing homes in order to stop the infection from spreading and harming more individuals in hospitals. In recent years, the amount of people affected by CRE has grown. Those who are infected with the bacteria often find that it has polluted their bloodstream, and can bring on horrific symptoms. In 2011, a CRE outbreak in Maryland resulted in seven deaths and 18 cases of the illness. Last month, the CDC reported that unusual forms of CRE are becoming more common all throughout America, 15 unusual forms of the disease have been detected since July. Many times the bacteria spread because people carry the germs on their person. Doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel may transport the germs if they fail to wash their hands after dealing with a patient or moving on to another person in the hospital. The CDC says that they are working hard to make health care facilities more aware of the germs and the prevalence of CRE bacteria. Contact a New York personal injury attorney at Greenberg & Stein today for more information!