The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling on hospitals and other healthcare facilities to make comprehensive infection control programs a priority and to take aggressive steps to reduces rates of drug-resistant infections. CDC’s new guidance, Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in Healthcare Settings, advises hospitals and healthcare facilities to take the following steps: ensure that prevention programs are funded and adequately staffed; carefully track infection rates and related data to monitor the impact of prevention efforts; ensure that staff use standard infection control practices and follow guidelines regarding the correct use of antibiotics; promote best practices with health education campaigns to increase adherence to established recommendations; and design robust prevention programs customized to specific settings and local needs.
If those recommendations don’t improve infection rates, CDC advises that healthcare facilities implement more stringent measures, including screening of all patients at high risk for carrying drug-resistant bacteria to make sure the correct precautions are used for the right patients. Read the guidelines.
