Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Dangerous Bacteria In Nursing Homes


Dangerous bacteria is invading nursing homes and hospitals across the country, according to a recent report by HealthDay News.  This bacteria is resistant to antibiotics and leads to about a 50% fatality rate.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, this bacteria has been reported in over 200 hospitals and nursing homes.  Almost 5% of U.S. hospitals and almost 20% of nursing homes have reported at least one case of  the bacteria within the first half of 2012. 


This bacteria, known commonly as CRE, is from the same family as E. coli and is resistant to last-resort antibiotics.  The occurrence of CREs in the U.S. has increased 4x in the last ten years, with some strains increasing as much as 7x.  Many CRE infections occur after long-term stays in hospitals, and are also more widespread in nursing homes.

CRE is most commonly transmitted between patients from the hands of healthcare workers.  The most disturbing aspect of this bacterial strain is that it can transfer its antibiotic resistance to similar bacteria.  On the brighter side, other countries who have experienced outbreaks of CRE have effectively reduced the rate of infections in patients.
Attorney Doug Stoehr takes claims for patients in nursing homes who have suffered from an injury due to the fault of another.  Common cases that Attorney Stoehr has handled for clients include slip-and-fall, wrongful death, bed sores, and other personal injury claims.  To learn more about his Altoona, PA firm, please call his office at 814-946-4100 or visit his website at http://www.stoehrlaw.com.

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