This is the largest nationally representative study to date of the toll taken by sepsis and pneumonia, two conditions often caused by deadly microbes, including the antibiotic-resistant bacteria MRSA. Such infections can lead to longer hospital stays, serious complications and even death.
"In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals," said Ramanan Laxminarayan, Ph.D., principal investigator for Extending the Cure, a project examining antibiotic resistance based at the Washington, D.C. think-tank Resources for the Future.
"Infections that are acquired during the course of a hospital stay cost the United States a staggering amount in terms of lives lost and health care costs," he said. "Hospitals and other health care providers must act now to protect patients from this growing menace."
Laxminarayan and his colleagues analyzed 69 million discharge records from hospitals in 40 states and identified two conditions caused by health care-associated infections: sepsis, a potentially lethal systemic response to infection and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs and respiratory tract.
The researchers looked at infections that developed after hospitalization. They zeroed in on infections that are often preventable, like a serious bloodstream infection that occurs because of a lapse in sterile technique during surgery, and discovered that the cost of such infections can be quite high: For example, people who developed sepsis after surgery stayed in the hospital 11 days longer and the infections cost an extra $33,000 to treat per person.
Even worse, the team found that nearly 20 percent of people who developed sepsis after surgery died as a result of the infection. "That's the tragedy of such cases," said Anup Malani, a study co-author, investigator at Extending the Cure, and professor at the University of Chicago. "In some cases, relatively healthy people check into the hospital for routine surgery. They develop sepsis because of a lapse in infection control—and they can die."
The team also looked at pneumonia, an infection that can set in if a disease-causing microbe gets into the lungs—in some cases when a dirty ventilator tube is used. They found that people who developed pneumonia after surgery, which is also thought to be preventable, stayed in the hospital an extra 14 days. Such cases cost an extra $46,000 per person to treat. In 11 percent of the cases, the patient died as a result of the pneumonia infection.
anonymous on 20 Mar 15Chair For Cerebral Palsy Child Cerebral palsy is a condition, not a disease.Child with cerebral palsy has a range of chronic movement and posture disorders as the direct result of brain damage within the areas that control movement.It isn't easy raising and caring for a child with cerebral palsy, but that doesn't mean they are helpless. It can be child's best advocate in the months and years to come, ensuring that it gets the care that's needed. Cerebral means brain-centred while palsy is a lack of muscle control.Cerebral palsy is abbreviated to CP.Cerebral palsy (CP) is a term used to identify a number of neurological impairments typically appearing in infancy or early childhood, according to researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Child with cerebral palsy have permanent mobility problems caused by brain damage. There is no cure for cerebral palsy, and many children, adolescents and adults can be treated successfully with adaptations, which can improve their capabilities. Characteristics of cerebral palsy in children are: Lack of muscle coordination when performing voluntary movements Stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes Abnormal walking with one foot or leg dragging Excessive drooling or difficulties swallowing, sucking or speaking Uncontrolled shaking of the body Difficulty with precise motions, such as writing, tying shoe laces or buttoning a shirt Inability to walk and need for a walker or wheelchair Need for extensive, lifelong care Seizures Cerebral palsy has many causes. A brain that has not formed normally. A combination of low blood flow and/or low oxygen to the brain. Bleeding in the brain around the time of birth. Genetic, meaning it is linked to other members of the family. Meningitis, which causes inflammation of the covering of the brain. Brain injury before the age of 2. Premature birth. Chair For CP Child Chair For CP Child can range from very mild where a child learns to w
