MRSA Superbug

MRSA Infections In Hospitals

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MRSA, The multidrug resistant infection, is roaming around in our hospitals!

It has been on the news and showing up on blogs, websites and everywhere else you look. The question is why is MRSA spreading throughout the hospitals? You hear from friends and family members telling you that they had a friend that went to the hospital and afterwords they got an MRSA Infection while at the hospital. Are the hospitals in the United States unclean? Or is it another reason but if you think about it… It is called the superbug for a reason.

Hospitals aren’t just turning the other way and ignoring this problem. They know it’s a problem and are taking additional steps to help prevent this superbug from spreading. The CDC report (2005 through 2009) shows that there is a decrease in MRSA Infections, a 34% drop compared to a 2005 to 2008 report. It seems that hospitals are heading in the right direction but still have much more work that needs to be done to control MRSA In hospitals.

The main focus is for the health care staffs in hospitals follow the prevention of MRSA because only they truly know if the proper procedures for preventing MRSA are being followed. It is very difficult for a patient to know if their nurses or doctors are doing the following:

While visiting the hospital (visitors and patients) should wash their hands before and after the visit. Have no physical contact with a patient with the MRSA Infection and avoid touching surfaces or objects in a isolated room of a patient with MRSA.

Always keep in mind, if a person touches an object that was previously touched by someone with MRSA it has a chance to spread. So next time you visit the hospital be extra careful and aware of your surroundings. If you touch a surface, take a few minutes and go wash your hands with an alcohol base gel.

Process + Technology = Better Patient Care

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Scan the health sections of the national daily newspapers and you’re likely to find a common theme, ways to improve patient care, and more specifically, how to eliminate hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Whether discussing the launch of the Department of Heath and Human Service’s hospital compare tool, or the approaching enactment of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reimbursement changes, it’s clear that HAIs have assumed a central position in America’s conversation on patient safety and quality health care.

Given the impassioned discussion around HAIs, specifically as it relates to their prevention, it’s easy to assume that all facets of the conversation are being fully explored. A number of articles have delved into the importance of better hand washing policies and procedural checklists in an effort to reduce and/or prevent HAIs. Despite the understanding that proper hygiene and standard procedures dramatically eliminates the risk of infection, nearly 2 million people contract HAIs annually.

This dangerously high statistic illustrates the need to look beyond relying solely on hygiene and process measures to reduce HAIs. While they have been proven to reduce HAIs, they cannot be used as a stand-alone infection control policy. Instead, healthcare providers need to consider a two-pronged approach to prevent infections, one that incorporates the use of the best medical technologies available along with strict adherence to hygiene procedures.

Based on the widespread need to eliminate HAIs, I founded MADRI, the Multidisciplinary Alliance Against Device-Related Infections. MADRI is based on the principle that a collaborative approach to infection prevention can result in better patient outcomes and is unique because it promotes conversation between healthcare providers, government agencies and device and drug manufacturing companies.Â

By bringing all stakeholders to the table, MADRI provides a forum to discuss and share information and develop strategies for the prevention and treatment of device-related infections. The MADRI conference this past June marked the eighth annual meeting. More than an anniversary, however, it marked a sustained effort to merge the best minds, the best technologies and the best practices to ensure optimal patient outcomes.

Infection prevention is a responsibility for all healthcare professionals. With a solid commitment and adherence to infection control best practices and innovations in medical-device technology, the healthcare community can significantly reduce HAI rates and related treatment costs. With the heightened attention to HAI rates and patient awareness, now is the time for a renewed focus on leveraging clinically protective medical device innovations that can help save the lives of thousands of people.

Rabih O. Darouiche, M.D., VA Distinguished Service Professor, Departments of Medicine (Infectious Disease Section) and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director, Center for Prostheses Infection, Michael E. Debakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX; Founder, Multidisciplinary Alliance Against Device-Related Infections.

MADRI- Banning Together to Help Prevent the Spread of Infections

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We were always told as children to share with our peers. Dr. Rabih Darouiche, founder of the Multidisciplinary Alliance Against Device-Related Infections (MADRI) and VA distinguished service professor and director of Center for Prostheses Infection at Baylor College of Medicine, has taken this concept and applied it to the field of infection control by creating a forum for the open exchange of information, ideas and case studies with the goal of improving patient care.

MADRI is an organization that was established with the goal of improving patient care through the advancement of medical device technology. The alliance is comprised of healthcare providers, researchers, government agencies and device- and drug-manufacturing companies. By gathering experts from all disciplines together for an open and educational forum, MADRI creates an environment that is designed to spark conversation, and uncover new and innovative solutions for reducing device-related infections.Â

This week, infection control experts will be gathering in Virginia for the 8th annual MADRI conference to share ideas and practices for improved patient care. The event will focus on identifying medical advances for the treatment and prevention of medical device-related infections, utilizing appropriate surgical interventions for patients with device-related infections and addressing the regulation of surface-modified medical devices. Leading infection specialists will present on a variety of topics, most notably legal liabilities associated with MRSA and catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSIs).

MADRI was created with a distinct focus on CRBSIs as many more central venous catheters (CVCs) are inserted each year than all other types of surgical implants combined. These infections are typically the most dangerous hospital acquired infection, resulting in the deaths of approximately 28,000 patients each year in the U.S. according to research conducted by John Hopkins Medical Institution. In addition to the human cost of these infections, they are extremely expensive to treat, costing upwards of $35,000 per patient.

Infection prevention is a responsibility for all healthcare professionals and the commitment to the dissemination of infection control best practices and technology will help to improve patient care and quality across the country.

By Thomas Cherry, RN, BSN

Clinical Product Manager of the Critical Care division of Cook Medical

http://www.cookmedical.com/home.do

http://www.cookmedical.com/cc/home.do

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