Experts at the Healthcare-acquired Infections Conference, in Crewe, highlighted the need to monitor and take action on all healthcare-associated infections.
Community-acquired MRSA PVL and MSSA PVL have caused a number of outbreaks in UK hospitals and pose an increasing threat, but have not received the focus they deserve. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports
A conference recently hosted by Medilink West Midlands and Medilink North West raised some significant issues regarding healthcare-acquired infections – including antibiotic resistance, the growing threat of community-acquired strains and the availability of funding for innovation. Setting the scene was Shakeel Suleman, from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), who provided an insight into the scale of the problem of hospitalacquired infections with an overview of national surveillance figures. The data presented highlighted the following key points:
• Voluntary surveillance of bloodstream infections, in England, showed an increase from between 80,000 and 90,000 in 2003, to around 110,000 in 2007.
Log in or register FREE to read the rest
This story is Premium Content and is only available to registered users. Please log in at the top of the page to view the full text.
If you don't already have an account, please register with us completely free of charge.
