619,000. That is the number of hospital-acquired infection cases that could be averted in the next five years by following a coordinated, two-part approach, according to a new CDC-led report.
The CDC's latest mathematical modeling reflects anticipated increases in drug-resistant infections, including C. diff, if no immediate, nationwide infection control and antibiotic prescription improvements are made. The research shows that a coordinated response, rather than having hospitals, nursing homes and long-term acute care facilities make individual changes, could reduce infections by 74 percent over five years,
Here is the two-pronged approach that could help prevent illness and save lives, according to the CDC.
1. Public health departments track and alert healthcare facilities to drug-resistant germ outbreaks in their area and the threat of germs coming from other facilities.
2. Healthcare facilities work together and with public health authorities to implement shared infection control actions to stop the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs and C. diff between facilities.
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"Antibiotic-resistant infections in healthcare settings are a growing threat in the U.S., killing tens of thousands of people each year," Tom Frieden, MD, director of the CDC, said in a statement. "New CDC modeling shows that we can dramatically reduce these infections if healthcare facilities, nursing homes and public health departments work together to improve antibiotic use and infection control so patients are protected."