Nursing Homes Poorly Controlling Infections Amongst Patients

Nursing Homes Poorly Controlling InfectionsA report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report concluded that nursing homes need to do a better job when it comes to implementing infection control programs at their facilities.  After studying a group of patients at a Pennsylvania nursing home requiring specialized neurologic and pulmonary care, it was revealed that infections such as Group A Streptococcus were alarmingly prevalent.

Within the group of nursing home patients studied, patients with open wounds (such as bed sores) and invasive Group A Streptococcus fared the worst with an approximately 20% mortality rate.

Not surprisingly, the study concluded that nursing homes need to do a better job creating and implementing infection prevention programs in their facilities in order to reduce infection rates.  Hand sanitation and wound care were prominent factors deemed to reduce such infection rates.

As a lawyer involved in cases involving healthcare acquired infections in nursing home and hospital patients, I tend to see facilities simply ignoring potential infection risks as some facilities fail to take basic steps such as encouraging hand sanitation within the general population of the nursing home and failing to keep patients with contagious infections isolated.

Hopefully, as more information about healthcare facility acquired infection comes to light, facilities will begin to appreciate the significance of this problem and this issue begins to get the attention it deserves.

For laws related to Pennsylvania nursing homes, look here.

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