The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae have grown more resistant to last-resort antibiotics over the past 10 years.
Enterobacteriaceae are a family of bacteria, some of which have grown resistant to a group of antibiotics called carbapenems, or last-resort antibiotics. Forty-two states reported that they had at least one patient test positive for one type of CRE in the past 10 years. While CRE are not yet common nationally, the percentage of Enterobacteriaceae that are CRE increased fourfold in the last decade, according to the CDC. One type of CRE, a resistant form of Klebsiella pneumoniae, has increased sevenfold in this time period, according to the news release.
In the first half of 2012, 4 percent of hospitals and 18 percent of long-term acute-care facilities treated at least one patient infected with CRE. Furthermore, up to half of patients who contract bloodstream infections from CRE die.
The CDC is calling on healthcare facilities to follow its recommendations for preventing CRE, which are detailed in a CRE prevention toolkit.
Patient Safety Tool: 2 Samples of Antimicrobial Stewardship Proposals
13 Practical Steps to Prevent HAIs
Enterobacteriaceae are a family of bacteria, some of which have grown resistant to a group of antibiotics called carbapenems, or last-resort antibiotics. Forty-two states reported that they had at least one patient test positive for one type of CRE in the past 10 years. While CRE are not yet common nationally, the percentage of Enterobacteriaceae that are CRE increased fourfold in the last decade, according to the CDC. One type of CRE, a resistant form of Klebsiella pneumoniae, has increased sevenfold in this time period, according to the news release.
In the first half of 2012, 4 percent of hospitals and 18 percent of long-term acute-care facilities treated at least one patient infected with CRE. Furthermore, up to half of patients who contract bloodstream infections from CRE die.
The CDC is calling on healthcare facilities to follow its recommendations for preventing CRE, which are detailed in a CRE prevention toolkit.
More Articles on Infection Control:
Study: CRE-Positive Patients Retain Organism 1 Year Post-DischargePatient Safety Tool: 2 Samples of Antimicrobial Stewardship Proposals
13 Practical Steps to Prevent HAIs