Many hospitals across the United States aren’t taking simple measures to prevent infections of a new strain of Clostridium difficile that’s difficult to track, and at least in part responsible for skyrocketing infection rates in U.S. hospitals.
A new study published in Scientific American discusses a new strain of Clostridium difficile, called NAP1, which is partly responsible for skyrocketing infection rates in hospitals nationwide. It has been the basis of some Connecticut Medical Malpractice cases.
Twenty years ago, there were fewer than 100,000 hospital stays that reported C. diff; either as a primary diagnosis upon admission or as a secondary diagnosis after admission, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. By 2009, that number had climbed to over 336,000, with more than nine percent of those stays ending in death at the hospital.
Hospital personnel must use soap and water to remove C. diff from their hands. Alcohol gels and foams don’t remove the spores. They are an inadequate defense against spreading the germ.
The Connecticut Personal Injury Lawyers with Carter Mario Law Firm believe that doctors and medical staff have a responsibility to protect the well-being of patients. Failure to do so could be considered negligent, and anyone who has suffered because of such a mistake is encouraged by the firm to explore their legal rights.