ADVIN.ORG - Association for the Défense of Victims of Nosocomial Infections

As patient-safety issues continue to vex the entire spectrum of healthcare providers, several recent studies have come to the same conclusion: promoting patient safety in the hospital setting requires dramatic culture shifts, less hierarchy and more physician-nurse collaboration. Increasingly, nurses are being charged with making change occur. Are such efforts working? What are some of the difficulties that can arise in these types of initiatives?

Probiotics have become one of the world's most popular functional  ingredients  in the food market, surpassing omega-3 consumption by more than three times. Probiotics  are added to regular yoghourt as well as fruit beverages, baby milk preparation, etc. and are purported to bring health benefits to the consumer, although precisely  what benefits, are unclear.

However, probiotic products promotion is often associated with intestinal health and immunity benefits, as well as with antibiotic therapy. The unfortunate increase of hospital-acquired infections , such as C. difficile and MRSA,  has necessitated the development  high doses of antibiotics and has sparked a new interest in the prevention and treatment benefit associated to probiotics. Beyond consumer trends aimed at making a profit,  the following scientific articles related to probiotics may be of help to the public.

The recent appearance of NDM1 (New Delhi metallo beta lactamase), mistakenly referred to as a “super bug,” has made headlines worldwide and raised the specter of a new threat to patient safety around the world. Medical researchers and professionals are currently in a dead end to prevent the spread of multi-treatment resistant bacteria.

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections are the most common hospital-acquired infections.They account for 30% of the total hospital-acquired infections (HAI). A source of additionnal stress and pain for the patient, they prolong their stay by 3 to 5 days in the hospital and their treatment adds extra costs for the patient as well as the hospital.

All this could be easily avoided since these infections are viewed  as largely preventable.