Over 700,000 patients in the U.S. contract bacterial infections in hospitals, a study has found, while 75,000 patients die from hospital-related infections yearly.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also found that antibiotic-resistant bacteria caused over one in seven infections in some hospitals.
Dr. Clifford McDonald, the study's senior author, said that they are seeing some progress in other areas but more initiatives should be implemented. McDonald is also the CDC's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion's associate director for science.
The U.S. health agency advised all health care professionals to be a frontrunner in the fight against hospital-related infections.
"Doctors are the key to stamping out superbugs," said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, who described the figures as 'chilling.' "No one should get sick when they're trying to get well."
CDC experts said the antibiotic-resistant bacteria infections can lead to sepsis or, worse, death. The rate of infections in long-term acute care hospitals, where patients stay at the facilities for 25 days or longer, rises to one in every four cases.
The six widespread drug-resistant bacteria strains include Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE); multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter; multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa; ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (extended-spectrum beta-lactamases); and Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE).
The bacteria's goal is to survive and procreate, so they find ways to evade antibiotics. Apart from mutation, new strains of bacteria also emerge.
The survey did find evidence that U.S. hospitals are improving in their fight against facility-related infections. The number of infections from large-vein catheters reduced by 50 percent between 2008 and 2014. However, one in six of the infections was linked to drug-resistant bacteria.
In the same period, the number of cases for surgery-related infections reduced by 17 percent. One in seven of the infections was linked to drug-resistant bacteria.
Between 2009 and 2014, there were no changes in the total number of urinary catheter-related infections. But the report showed documented progress by 2014's end. However, one in every 10 infections was still linked to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
The study found that Clostridium difficile (C. difficile), which is the most widespread bacteria that causes hospital-associated infections, was linked to nearly half a million infection cases in the U.S. in 2011 alone.
Between 2011 and 2014, progress was made and the C. difficile infection rate was reduced by 8 percent.
"For clinicians, prevention means isolating patients when necessary," added McDonald.
Photo: Kristin Klein | Flickr
