CDC says thousands of hospital infections could be prevented

The Washington Post (7/13, Aizenman) reports, “Deadly yet easily preventable bloodstream infections continue to plague American hospitals, because facility administrators fail to commit resources and attention to the problem, according to a survey of medical professionals released Monday.” The data show that about “80,000 patients per year develop catheter-related bloodstream infections, or CRBSIs — which can occur when tubes are inserted into a vein to monitor blood flow or deliver medication and nutrients are improperly prepared or left in longer than necessary.” The CDC has estimated that “30,000 patients die as a result…accounting for nearly a third of annual deaths due to hospital-acquired infections in the United States.”