Hospitals Battle Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs)

The nation’s leading environmental laboratory, EMSL Analytical, offers nosocomial and healthcare related infection testing services.

Cinnaminson, NJ

An article in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology discusses how researchers identified contaminated nasal spray as the cause of an outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia in patients at a Denver children’s hospital. A recent news story from WLWT last week reported on the source of a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at an Ohio hospital in 2010. WHEC in New York also recently reported on nineteen cases of C. diff infections at a Batavia hospital.

These are just a few instances of outbreaks originating in hospital settings or are due to contaminated medical products. Healthcare acquired infections are caused by a wide variety of common, and not so common, bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Medical advances in recent years have brought lifesaving care to patients in need, yet many of these advances come with an increased risk of HAIs. These infections, related to medical care, can be devastating and even deadly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) one out of every twenty hospital patients acquires an infection while being treated for another illness in the U.S. A 2006 study, sponsored by Resources for the Future and reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reported that hospital acquired infections added $8.1 billion in additional medical costs each year.

Many of these pathogens are spread through poor indoor air quality (IAQ), from touching contaminated surfaces and due to improper hygiene procedures. “HAI infections can be life threatening and even lead to death in far too many cases,” reported Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President, Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc., a leading HAI and IAQ testing laboratory. “Proper hygiene and proactive indoor environmental and surface testing can help bring down the far too high number of 1 in 20 patients who acquire an HAI. MRSA, C. diff, Bacillus, Legionella and other infectious agents can be dramatically reduced so that the cost in lives and medical dollars are significantly minimized.”

To learn more about testing for HAIs, indoor air quality (IAQ) or other environmental issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com.

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies.

Contact Information

Joe Frasca

Senior Vice President, Marketing

EMSL Analytical, Inc.

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