Recently, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) committed $26 million to new research aimed at preventing hospital infections and improving patient safety in medical settings throughout the country. This initiative, known as the Prevention Epicenters Program, will be spearheaded by five major academic medical centers between 2016 and 2020.
The goal of the research is to craft and experiment with innovative approaches to improving patient safety, with a particular focus on the prevention of infection. According to the CDC, approximately 1 in 25 patients in U.S. hospitals will contract an infection while being treated for another condition. In many cases, the results of these infections are catastrophic, manifesting in sepsis or even death.
If you have suffered an injury or infection from malpractice or negligence in a medical setting in New Jersey, contact Fronzuto Law Group for immediate assistance from an attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and possibly available options. Contact our firm at 973-435-4551 or fill out our online form to request a free consultation.Fronzuto Law Group
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent the most aggressively proliferating and fatal of hospital infections, causing 1 out of every 4 (25 percent) of catheter and surgery-related infections. The Director of the CDC, Tom Frieden, emphasized the importance of this research, stating: “Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, making this research even more critical today than ever.”
The five medical centers who will receive these funds are Chicago Prevention and Intervention Epicenter at Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Health and Hospitals System; Duke University and the University of North Carolina; The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and University of California, Irvine; The University of Pennsylvania; and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and BJC Healthcare Prevention Epicenter.
The research will be aimed at a variety of issues within hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs), investigating new strategies for preventing infections, detecting outbreaks, preventing transmission, tracking transmission, and preventing the spread between healthcare facilities. It will also attempt to identify the most effective ways to disinfect patient skin to prevent infections in ICU patients and to develop the best ways to treat infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Unfortunately, infections remain a consistent and highly dangerous problem in U.S. hospitals. Hospital-acquired infections may result from failure to adequately execute necessary health precautions. For example, if nurses, physicians, medical technicians, or others fail to sufficiently wash their hands or use gloves, innocent patients may suffer the consequences. In addition, hospitals are responsible for thoroughly sterilizing medical instruments, devices, and surgical environments, using antiseptics when necessary, and preventing infected patients from contacting non-infected ones.
When hospitals or the medical professionals who operate within them fail to take appropriate safety measures and patients acquire infections as a result, they can be held accountable through medical malpractice or wrongful death lawsuits. If you or someone you love has acquired an infection while in the hospital being treated for another condition, you may have grounds pursue compensation. Contact our New Jersey medical malpractice lawyers to receive a cost-free consultation and learn more about your available legal options.
For additional information about the upcoming CDC research, access the following article: CDC Awards $26 Million to Academic Medical Centers, Drives Innovation to Protect Patients
