News tagged with 'Hospital infections'

Increasingly hospitals are turning to risk calculators, based on thousands of procedures nationally, to inform consumers the risk of their procedure and complications.

A report by the Hearst Newspapers finds that about 200,000 people die from errors by doctors and infections in hospitals, which are largely preventable. Here are some of their stories.

Dead By Mistake reports 200,000 avoidable medical mistakes lead to death in the U.S. every year, and during debates over health care reform, no one is monitoring how to make hospitals safer.

More proof that MRSA, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus – is everywhere.  A Congressional staffer has contracted the superbug bacterial infection, possibly at a House staff gym.  It is currently being disinfected, and InjuryBoard has hosted much discussion on what type of disinfectant works best.   

A nasty and often deadly stomach bug is more common in U.S. hospitals than previously believed. C. difficile, an intestinal bacteria, that can cause intestinal infections and diarrhea is resistant to most antibiotics.

Older donated blood resulted in blood poisoning or pneumonia among hospital patients, according to a new study -  reinforcing the idea that donated blood should be discarded before 6 weeks, which is the current outside limit.

All of the leading health and hospital organizations are on the same page with this new set of recommendations aimed at reducing 1.7 million incidents of six major hospital infections a year. Washing your hands is still the leading and least expensive measure. Not everyone is doing it.

C. diff is presenting a series of challenges to hospitals and nursing homes already coping with methicillin-resistant staph. The bacteria loves to thrive after a good dose of antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria in the gut. Avoid hospital settings to avoid contacting the bug.