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Have you ever been admitted to the hospital for surgery or illness? Have you ever caught an infection unrelated to your surgery or illness? If so, you have been the victim of a nosocomial infection also known as hospital-acquired infections.
C. difficile, MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus), are well known, but there are many others.
Do you know that you have more chances to die from a nosocomial infection than from a car accident?
Every year in Quebec, 90 000 people are afflicted by these infections and, of that number, 4000 die immediately.
A minimum of 50% of these infections could be avoided by better prevention and control measures such as strict hand hygiene.
Nosocomial infections are also very costly to the health system. On average they cost 180 millions dollars yearly.
By joining ADVIN you contribute to the promotion of safe care and quality hospitals.
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OTTAWA HOSPITAL SCREENING FOR TWO SUPERBUGS |
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Written by Christine Besson
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Sunday, 14 October 2007 |
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Ottawa Hospital will start
screening every overnight patient for methicillen-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). It must be
remembered that these hospital-acquired infections kill more than 8,000 people across the nation
annually.
A recent pilot study revealed that many patients
considered not at high risk were already infected upon admission, thus
introducing the bacteria in the hospital.
Patients found
to be carriers or infected with MRSA will be isolated, in private
rooms. Anyone visiting or treating them will have to wear surgical mask, gown and
gloves.
In Toronto,
The University Health Network Hospital is starting the same systematic screening program this
month.
By January 2008, The Public Health Agency of Canada
will present a plan to reduce Canada'
s 220, 000 nosocomial infections (hospital acquired infections). The rate of
MRSA and C. difficile has tremendously increased in the last ten years, particularly in
Québec and Ontario
(Canadian Nosocomial Infection Surveillance Program study).
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