A plea because of my sister Aug 7, 2008
Nan is sick with MRSA, or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, the newer strain of staph infection against which penicillin and the penicillin-related antibiotics seem to be completely ineffective. Not long ago, MRSA appeared mostly in closed populations like hospitals and prisons ... According to the Mayo Clinic s Web site, MRSA s fast-multiplying bacteria sometimes remain confined to the skin but can also cause potentially life threatening infections in bones, joints, heart valves and... (Woburn Advocate, MA)
How pigs can help Parkinson's Aug 7, 2008
Now Swansea University researchers have found a new antibiotic in maggot saliva that can combat 12 strains of deadly hospital bug MRSA. ... It s now hoped that the antibiotic, named Seraticin, can be developed into a jab or ointment to prevent thousands of MRSA deaths, as well as combat C.diff and E.coli ... Between 2002 and 2006, 6,201 deaths in England and Wales involved MRSA and 15,683 deaths involved C. difficile. (The Sun)
Ortho-McNeil initiates first-of-its-kind skin infection registry Aug 7, 2008
The increased incidence of one of the most common resistant bacteria that are causing cSSTI, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), poses a significant challenge and burden to the U.S. health care system. Despite the high incidence of cSSTIs, a limited understanding remains and a wide variety of treatment options are used which often affect patient outcomes. (EurekAlert!)
MRSA scare hits SC County Detention Center Aug 7, 2008
"The treatment was based on if it were MRSA. Now you have to look at it from the prevention and reduction side." ... According to , a MRSA infection is caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria - often called "staph." It is a strain of staph that is resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it ... "Sometimes people freak out (when they hear about MRSA), but (in this case) there is no reason to freak out," she said. (Nogales International, AZ)
Hospital clean-up costs 3.7m Aug 6, 2008
Both hospitals have embarked on a "massive programme" of cleaning and screening to contain the MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C. diff) bugs ... In their statement the hospitals said: "From the start of the financial year, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has recorded eight MRSA bloodstream infections. "Whilst every case of MRSA is regrettable, we are currently more than on target to achieve no more than 22 cases in 2008/09 ... "The foundation trust is working extremely hard to... (BBC News -- UK)
New drug with maggots? Aug 6, 2008
British researchers have developed a new antibiotic using maggots which can be used to treat bugs including some strains of the drug-resistant bacteria MRSA, they announced on Tuesday. The team from Swansea University in south Wales has created Seraticin, a drug made from the secretions of green bottle fly larvae. (iAfrica.com)
New MRSA drug developed from maggots Aug 6, 2008
BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- British researchers have developed a new antibiotic with maggots which can be used to tackle problem bugs including strains of superbug Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), according to media reports Wednesday ... Tests have shown Seraticin to be effective against up to 12 different strains of MRSA, as well as the food poisoning bacterium Escherichia coli and Clostridium difficile. (Xinhuanet, China)
The Germs Are Potent. But So Is a Kiss. Aug 5, 2008
Like the better-known MRSA, VRE is a so-called multidrug-resistant organism, able to survive an assault from powerful antibiotics. Half a century ago these bugs did not exist; a decade ago they were rare; today, nearly 30 percent of the Enterococcus bacteria collected from cultures in hospitals are VRE, and 60 percent of the Staphylococcus aureus are MRSA. ... Hardy organisms like MRSA evolve to withstand the drugs; then, through vectors like the unwashed hands of health care workers, they hitch... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Hospitals to be refused payment if patients contract superbugs Aug 4, 2008
Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust, which pays Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal hospitals for treating patients, is keen to introduce the measure to bring down rates of MRSA. ... In 2007-08 the number of MRSA cases at the two hospitals fell to 36 from 68 the previous year ... The PCT wants to cut rates of clostridium difficile by a third by 2011 and ensure that no more than 18 cases of MRSA are recorded each year in the county's acute hospitals. (Forester)
Burnley General Hospital wins MRSA battle Aug 3, 2008
ADVERTISEMENT NO cases of the deadly superbug MRSA were reported at Burnley General Hospital in June. There is thought to be no sign of the bug in July either meaning MRSA has been absent for more than 60 days ... In June 2007, three people were found to have MRSA methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and four patients were diagnosed with it in April last year. (Burnley Express)
Synthetic Grass Turf Lawn Maintenan... Jul 31, 2008
Routine sanitization reduces disease risk and became part of many turf product manufacturers maintenance schedule after a MRSA outbreak and other infections linked to artificial grass field [Begier, et al. 2004. Weeds will eventually take hold in outdoor artificial field turf. (Suite101.com)
Wonder Drugs Are Giving Sufferers Hope Jul 31, 2008
Medical Miracles - The Daily Record. 31 July 2008: 6:08am. (Glasgow Daily Record)
The chronic condition of the NHS Jul 31, 2008
And these are just the people to shriek about MRSA, even as they emerge from the bogs with hands unacquainted with the soap provided seen it happen frequently. Still, I dont think its the proles who have undermined the team ethos, so much as demarcation, jobsworthiness and the like, which have become ingrained and subsequently exacerbated by excess management, targets and the rest. (Independent)
Senior Subjects: Drugstore clinics may be coming soon Jul 30, 2008
By Rob Stuart-Vail/Columnist. Tue Jul 29, 2008, 08:11 PM EDT. (Lincoln Journal, MA)
Sharp Rise In Skin Infections In U.S., MRSA Suspected Jul 30, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 29, 2008) A national analysis of physician office and emergency department records shows that the types of skin infections caused by community-acquired MRSA doubled in the eight-year study period, with the highest rates seen among children and in urban emergency rooms ... The vast majority of that increase was attributable to visits for abscesses or cellulitis, which Hersh called the hallmark signs of infections from the variety of staph bacteria known as MRSA, or... (Science Daily)
New medical fellowship in Valley Jul 29, 2008
"There are new emerging infections, such as avian flu [bird flu]. ... There is an increase in STDs [sexually transmitted diseases]. Syphillis cases have nearly doubled nationwide."Infectious diseases -- which can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi -- range from AIDS to MRSA, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and can be deadly. Hospital-acquired infections, including MRSA, have been a major problem for some hospitals. (Fresno Bee)
Erica Packer has infection after Indigo C-section, hospital ... Jul 29, 2008
One is now left wondering if she's contracted MRSA or VRE. They're both rampant at the moment, including private hospitals. We'll soon find out I guess. (Daily Telegraph)
Zapping microbes with lasers and enzymes Jul 29, 2008
Researchers are aiming lasers and a common enzyme found in tears at disease-causing bacteria, such as the MRSA strain pictured above ... Ominously, some strains of MRSA are becoming resistant to the powerful antibiotic vancomycin considered by many researchers as one of the last lines of defense ... In 2005, about 94,360 people in the United States acquired serious MRSA infections, mostly in hospitals and other healthcare settings. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Lung Inflammation From Influenza And Other Infections Could Be Turned Off Following New Discovery Jul 29, 2008
27, 2005) The discovery of a 'molecular switch' could lead to new ways of treating infections such as MRSA, and inflammatory diseases like. (Nov. (Science Daily)
Researchers analyze how new anti-MRSA abtibiotics function Jul 29, 2008
A new paper by Shahriar Mobashery, Navari Family Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, and researchers in his lab provides important insights into promising new antibiotics aimed at combating MRSA.. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major global health threat that kills approximately 20,000 people in the U.S. alone each year ... Mobashery is a world-renowned expert in antibiotic resistance and enzyme inhibitors and he and his research team have long... (EurekAlert!)
Overuse of antibiotics can spread infection Jul 29, 2008
Before it claimed her mother's life last fall, Lornell Haggerty didn't pay much attention to the antibiotic-resistant bacteria commonly known as MRSA. ... The globe-trotting Hillard, a former South Dakota lieutenant governor, likely acquired her MRSA infection in a Croatian hospital ... But her daughter's observation about MRSA in her personal sphere is also a pretty accurate description of the growing prevalence of the "superbug" in U.S. communities, according to Dr. James Keegan, infection... (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Rapid Valley woman survives fight against hospital-acquired contagions Jul 29, 2008
At one point, she also tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - commonly called MRSA, a Staph a infection that is resistant to commonly prescribed antibiotics ... Thankfully, Scott's MRSA infection responded to vancomycin, as the majority of those infections still do ... "Far worse than MRSA is VRSA," said Dr. Lon Kightlinger, state epidemiologist for the South Dakota Department of Health. (Rapid City Journal, SD)
Police evidence rooms caches of strange stuff Jul 28, 2008
"It can be dangerous with different diseases, like the MRSA staph infection that can be on the backpacks of transients," Thomas said. "Marijuana that's cut green will grow hazardous mold spores that's very dangerous to your respiratory system.". (Daytona Beach News Journal)
Cepheid stock plunges after earnings report Jul 28, 2008
The company makes a rapid test for a drug-resistant staph infection known as MRSA.. Cepheid closed the day at $17. (San Jose Business Journal)
Hospital winning superbug battle Jul 27, 2008
The BHR Trust has also upped its fight against another superbug, MRSA, which is resistant to most common antibiotics. MRSA infections were at their worst in 2005 when there were 331 infections between January and March, for over 65-year-olds. (Romford Recorder)
Fresno patient's family sues Saint Agnes, 2 doctors Jul 26, 2008
The suit says Brammer contracted an MRSA infection at Saint Agnes and a secondary infection while recovering at home, where she was cared for by the Saint Agnes Home Health unit. The MRSA infection is a Staphylococcus bacteria and is resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat it ... Brammer took antibiotics to treat the MRSA infection. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Top ten reasons for buying medical insurance Jul 25, 2008
"The most recent Healthcare Commission report showed no improvement in hospital hygiene standards over a year ago, with 103 of 391 trusts not meeting minimum requirements imposed by the Department of Health.Failure to tackle the menace of MRSA and Clostridium difficile is not only associated with more than 8,000 deaths a year in England and Wales. Most victims survive - but only after prolonging their hospital stay two-and-a-half times the scheduled period and gulping antibiotics for weeks... (Telegraph.co.uk)
Saving Lives After Natural Disasters With Fast Set-Up Phone Network Jul 24, 2008
MRSA is also a major source of illness. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Breakthrough In Fight Against Deadly Superbug: Early Detection Method Greatly Increases Chances Of Survival Jul 22, 2008
31, 2008) Researchers are finding out which bugs grow in intensive care units to develop a novel sampling regime that would indicate the threat of MRSA and other superbugs in the ... Infectious disease specialists have developed a way to quickly diagnose the very dangerous, antibiotic-resistant infection called MRSA. By dropping a.. (Science Daily)
Health Watch: Mississippi remains most obese state Jul 21, 2008
- Most minor cuts and scrapes will heal just fine without antibiotic ointment, but applying a product can speed healing and has been shown to be effective against MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant organisms. - Although some people may say to let the wound "breathe," the most current medical advice is to cover it up with an adhesive bandage. (Norwich Bulletin)
Hospitals are winning the war on MRSA, but C. diff is making a ... Jul 19, 2008
Hospitals are winning the war on MRSA, but C. diff is making a comeback ... The number of MRSA infections in England's hospitals has fallen - but another superbug is back on the rise, official figures showed last night ... Recorded MRSA bloodstream infections fell by 11 per cent from January to March, to 966 cases. (Daily Mail)
Superbug cases falling Jul 18, 2008
In Greater Manchester 262 people suffered from MRSA between April last year and March - 160 fewer than in the previous year. Nationally there was a six per cent rise in the number of C-diff infections but an 11 per cent drop in MRSA. Gill Heaton is chief nurse at Central Manchester and Manchester Children's hospital trust, which recently became a national centre for superbug research ... " Bev Hurst, from Wigan, who lost her mother to MRSA and now runs patient group National Concern for... (Manchester Evening News)
New staph strain alarms isle doctors Jul 17, 2008
News of the so-called vancomycin-intermediate staph A infection comes as doctors are already wary of another, more serious strain, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) -- the so-called superbug ... " There is no sign that the infection has spread to other people, Park said. About 80 to 100 U.S. cases have been reported in 10 years, all associated with previous exposure to vancomycin, she said. Infectious disease specialists suspect there will be more in a short time because of... (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
Valley hospitals get infection aid Jul 15, 2008
She said Central Valley General Hospital's grant will be used to reduce the risk of MRSA infection. MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a type of bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. (Fresno Bee)
No alcohol for young drivers call Jul 15, 2008
Page last updated at 11:38 GMT, Monday, 14 July 2008 12:38 UK. Please turn on JavaScript. (BBC News -- Health)
Superbug vaccines 'within decade' Jul 14, 2008
The government has set a target to halve MRSA rates by 2008 ... In a report due out tomorrow, Sir Liam Donaldson says immunisations against MRSA and Clostridium difficile could help to reduce the risk to patients ... Giving a preview of his annual report, which is due to be published on Monday, Sir Liam said a vaccine against C.difficile should be available within five years, and one against MRSA within five to 10 years. (BBC News -- UK)
Germ warfare moves to the gym Jul 14, 2008
The bugs in question run the gamut from fungi, which cause ailments such as athlete's foot, to viruses that cause herpes or a potentially deadly infection known as MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus. News of MSRA spreading at gyms apparently has taken gym-germ fighting up a notch. (CNN -- Health)
Newswatch, Police/Fire Jul 13, 2008
Melish has worked with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to document the increasing rate of the Methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, or the superbug. Jinbo and Kaneshiro work with the state Department of Health and public schools and they have been concerned about increasing problems with wound infections. (Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
No hospitals named in tales of infection Jul 13, 2008
Of all reported infections, about 10 percent were caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA. The rest were caused by organisms that respond more easily to antibiotics. Betsy McCaughey, the former New York lieutenant governor who has since founded the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths, said the report has many shortcomings -- most notably the comparison to national rates. (Albany Times Union)
Crawling The Internet To Track Infectious Disease Outbreaks Jul 13, 2008
25, 2006) Harmsen and colleagues show that an early warning algorithm based on epidemiological and DNA typing is a feasible approach for detection of clusters of MRSA infection in a paper published in PLoS. . (Science Daily)
Online Courses Boost Infection Control Skills That Could Prove Vital In A Pandemic Jul 13, 2008
ScienceDaily (July 10, 2008) Online courses are helping staff to develop the skills they need to tackle hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA and C.difficile, and this expertise could also prove vital in a pandemic, according to a study published in the latest issue of the UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing ... The authors argue that infection control is vital amid growing international concerns about the rising rate of hospital-acquired infections such as MRSA and C.difficile. (Science Daily)
Rev hits out at uncaring Vale bosses Jul 13, 2008
A HOSPITAL chaplain has slammed "uncaring" Glasgow health bosses as families who lost loved ones in a superbug outbreak launched a legal bid for a public inquiry. Rev Ian Miller of Dumbarton is a former member of the Argyll and Clyde board which handed control of Vale of Leven Hospital to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. (Glasgow Evening Times)
MRSA rates lowest on record Jul 13, 2008
A hospital trust which once had the highest number of MRSA incidents in the country has recorded its lowest number of cases to date. There were five reported cases of MRSA at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust between April and June this year ... I have lost two dear friends to MRSA within this health trust, and thay never accounted for their deaths as MRSA. Even though they were admitted for routine ops and contracted this dreadful disease whilst in their care. (Argus Lite)
Hospital fighting back against infections Jul 13, 2008
The state-of-the-art building has made all the difference, according to infection control experts, in tackling potentially deadly infections like MRSA bacteraemia and Clostridium difficile ... The limit for MRSA hospital acquired infections from April 2008 to April 2009 is 10. (Swindon Advertiser)
Stamp out superbugs or pay the price, govts warned Jul 8, 2008
Called Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by health professionals, the bugs earned their 'super' tag because they have developed resistance to most of the antibiotics used to treat them ... "We have always seen deaths associated with MRSA in hospitals, the hospital strains of MRSA, but these community MRSA are now entering our hospitals as well and that is a cause for great concern," she said ... " She says if action is not taken, MRSA will place an enormous burden on Australia's... (ABC Online)
Relatives of C Diff victims to sue local health board Jul 8, 2008
Relatives of patients who died in hospital after contracting the clostridium difficile bacteria, are to take legal action against the health board. A total of 18 deaths have been linked to the C Diff bug at Vale of Leven Hospital in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire, and in half of the cases it was the main cause of death. (The Herald)
Happy 60th birthday NHS Jul 8, 2008
The emphasis on reducing healthcare acquired infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile will also continue over the next decade. Drugs One of the biggest problems facing the NHS is the postcode lottery affecting the provision of drugs. (InTheNews.co.uk)
BD Announces CE Marking of a New Molecular Test to Diagnose Patients with Clostridium difficile Infections Jul 7, 2008
"The introduction of the BD GeneOhm Cdiff assay demonstrates BD's ongoing commitment to develop a broad range of products that can help prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). BD provides molecular tests for key pathogens associated with HAIs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, and now Clostridium difficile." In the United Kingdom, Clostridium difficile infections have risen 40... (PR Newswire)
New Antibiotic Beats Superbugs At Own Game Jul 7, 2008
Rockefeller University scientists tested the new drug, called Ceftobiprole, against some of the deadliest strains of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria, which are responsible for the great majority of staphylococcal infections worldwide, both in hospitals and in the community. The research, to be published in the August 2008 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy and available online now, looked at how well Ceftobiprole worked against bacterial clones... (Science Daily)
UK Malaria Rate Climbing Jul 7, 2008
nFor the record Clostridum difficile is not a virus, MRSA is not a virus and malaria is not a virus ... Echoing Joe Public - there is more genetic similarity between a tree and an elephant than a parasite and a virus (or a bacteria and a virus - something the media also always gets wrong - MRSA, legionella - these are bacteria not viruses media folk). (Sky News)
Injured soldiers to get new military ward Jul 6, 2008
Treatment of injured soldiers has been mired on controversy in recent times over mixed cilivian-military wards and allegations of overcrowding and injured personnel catching MRSA.. One soldier described waking up to find himself surrounded by "old women and drug addicts", while a Para was allegedly confronted by a Muslim man who accused him of "killing my Muslim brothers". (Telegraph.co.uk)
Happy birthday, NHS: retirement beckons Jul 6, 2008
" Which is what exactly? You d be best of down the pub sunshine instead of writing this ignorant drivel. Posted by the duke of putney on July 5, 2008 5:17 PMThe tinkering with (and piecemeal privatization) of the NHS has done more harm than good. It also serves as warning -- once you get profit into the system then costs will rise while services stay the same or deteriorate (stands to reason -- you can't extract value from the pot by magic, its got to come from somewhere). If you want to... (Telegraph.co.uk)
How to stop superbugs Jul 5, 2008
There is recent evidence that farmers' use of antibiotics might be a factor in the spread of a particularly lethal bug, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA killed more Americans than AIDS in 2005 ... For the most part, MRSA is spread within hospitals and nursing homes, though there have also been outbreaks in prisons, schools, and on sports teams. (Boston Globe)
C. diff rates soar among pensioners in Scotland Jul 4, 2008
MRSA rates in Scotland have fallen to their lowest level since 2003 and compliance with hand cleaning protocols has risen to 88% from 68% in February 2007. Author: Madeleine Davies. (Nursing Times)
New Evidence That Ancient Choanoflagellates' Form Evolutionary Link Between Single-celled And Multi-celled Organisms Jul 3, 2008
28, 2006) The MRSA 'superbug' evades many of the measures introduced to combat its spread by infecting a common single-celled organism found almost everywhere in hospital wards, according to new research. (Feb. (Science Daily)
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital exercising quality control Jul 3, 2008
Don Gronning / Daily Record ELLENSBURG Starting this month, if you come into Kittitas Valley Community Hospital for a medical procedure, you will have your mouth swabbed to test for MRSA, the drug-resistant bacteria that is potentially life threatening. It s not that the hospital itself has had an unusual outbreak of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, as MRSA is officially known, although there were three cases in 2007 and one so far this year, according to Anna Canterbury, infection... (Ellensburg Daily Record, WA)
Brussels offers NHS patients Europe-wide treatment Jul 3, 2008
Health specialists believe that the attraction of treatment abroad might now rest on factors such as lower rates of MRSA and C. difficile. Under the directive, patients who go to the Continent are likely to retain their full status as NHS patients - allowing them to keep their place in queues for physiotherapy and other recuperative care. (Times Online)
Record number of pensioners are diagnosed with C Diff bug Jul 3, 2008
Data on the hospital superbug MRSA was also issued yesterday and the latest audit of hand hygiene practices in Scotland's hospitals. Cases of MRSA in Scotland have fallen to the lowest number since surveillance began and compliance with handwashing standards has increased from 68% last February to 88%, just shy of the 90% target ... " By focusing on hospital departments where patients were most at risk from MRSA, Dr Eastaway said health boards had managed to reduce infections caused by this... (The Herald)
Removing the Golden Coat of Staphylococcus aureus Jul 3, 2008
Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, particularly those that are resistant to methicillin and all available -lactam antibiotics the so-called methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections have been declared a public health imperative. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention1 estimated that 18,650 persons in the United States died from invasive MRSA infections in 2005 ... The development of new antibiotics to treat MRSA infections has slowed for complex... (New England Journal of Medicine)
Laser treatment can kill superbugs Jul 2, 2008
Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus, or MRSA, infections can range from boils to more severe infections of the bloodstream, lungs and surgical sites. Most cases are associated with hospitals, nursing homes or other health care facilities. (India Times, India)
Back to the future Jul 1, 2008
Hospital infections were rare and, of course, MRSA didn't exist - the bug had not developed a resistance to antibiotics by then ... At Addenbrookes - and across the NHS - rates of MRSA and Clostridium Difficile have started to fall. (BBC News -- UK)
Infections 'the biggest NHS fear' Jun 30, 2008
Four of 10 of the 1,040 people quizzed listed the risk of potentially deadly infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile as their top NHS concern ... MRSA rates have been falling almost consistently for the last two years - although they have recently shown signs of stalling at just above 4,000 cases per quarter in England ... The number of cases of C. difficile, which can cause severe diarrhoea and inflammation of the bowel and is more common but less deadly than MRSA, has also shown... (BBC News -- UK)
More severe bone infections, health complications in children linked to MRSA, researchers find Jun 30, 2008
DALLAS June 30, 2008 The emergence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as a major pathogen has led to more complications and longer hospital stays for children with acute bone infections, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers report ... Recently, however, more children with osteomyelitis have been developing the more severe, antibiotic-resistant, community-associated MRSA, resulting in more complications and prolonged antibiotic therapy and hospital stays ... "What's... (EurekAlert!)
Novartis buys Protez for rights to new antibiotic Jun 29, 2008
Novartis and Protez are hoping it will act as a broad-spectrum antibiotic effective against potentially fatal drug-resistant infections such as MRSA, a growing problem in hospitals. In its statement, Novartis said that more than 100,000 people were estimated to have died in the US and Europe from problems relating to antibiotic resistance. (Yahoo News -- Pharmaceutical Industry News)
Overcrowding And Understaffing In Hospitals Increases Levels Of MRSA Infections Jun 29, 2008
ScienceDaily (June 28, 2008) A review article authored by a University of Queensland academic has found overcrowding and understaffing in hospitals are two key factors in the transmission of MRSA (Meticillin -- Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) infections worldwide ... Dr Archie Clements, from the School of Population Health, reported overcrowding and understaffing increased levels of MRSA infections, which lead to increased inpatient hospital stay, bed blocking, overcrowding and more MRSA... (Science Daily)
