Screening, isolation used for superbugs
Patient Safety Monitor Alert
July 4, 2007
More hospitals are holding a tough line against MRSA and other so-called superbugs, according to a June 28 Wall Street Journal article.
The front line against the infections is screening patients before they come into a unit. That way, patients who are infected can be treated with higher levels of protection to prevent spreading the illness.
Although the increased screening and quarantines cost more than previous, more lax precautions, hospitals find the subsequent decrease in infections is enough to justify the up-front losses. By preventing illness, the hospitals save money, according to the article.
A new Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology study shows that MRSA infects about 34 of every 1,000 patients, which is a rate much higher than previously thought.
