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Over 1 in 100 Hospitalized Patients in U.S. Acquire Bacterial Infection

By Jamie G. Goldstein

Clostridium difficile has now become the most common hospital acquired infection (HAI) in the United States. This bacteria can cause diarrhea and colon inflammation that could possibly be deadly.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention to ask for state plans to combat this epidemic. One of the reasons this infection has become more prevalent is because hospitals have moved away from hand washing and more towards the use of alcohol-based hand washing solution which does not eliminate clostridium difficile. In order to disinfect against this bacteria hands must be washed with soap and water to eliminate the spores and patient's rooms must be cleaned with bleach.

Although hand washing is more time consuming and costly than using alcohol solutions, it should still be practiced if more effective at preventing disease and saving lives. It's important to remember that although convenient, hand sanitizer is not a replacement for good old fashioned soap and water. Hand washing should be a regular practice inside of hospitals and in everyday life to not contract or spread illness.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jamie G. Goldstein

Full post as published by Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer on August 04, 2010 (boomark / email).