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QUALITY
&
ACCREDITATION
10 Things to Know About C. difficile
By Mary Rechtoris
C
lostridium difficile is a dangerous, and
oen fatal, infection plaguing nearly
half a million U.S. people annually, ac-
cording to CDC 2011 data.
Here are 10 things to know about the infec-
tion:
1. Following their initial C. diff infection, al-
most 29,000 patients die within 30 days. Al-
most 15,000 of these deaths are directly attrib-
utable to the infection, according to estimates.
2. Americans aged 65 or older comprise more
than 80 percent of C. diff-related fatalities.
4. Annually, the infection costs the U.S. econ-
omy $4.8 billion.
5. Twenty percent of patients with the infec-
tion had a recurrence within 30 days of diag-
nosis and one out of every nine patients aged
65 or older died from the infection within this
time frame.
6. Patients are more at risk of developing C.
diff when taking antibiotics. Recent literature
indicates between 30 percent and 50 percent
of antibiotics that hospitals prescribe are un-
necessary or incorrect.
7. Annually, more than 100,000 nursing home
residents develop C. diff.
8. Nearly 66 percent of these infections related
to an inpatient stay at a healthcare facility.
9. Both women and Caucasian people are at
increased risk of developing C. diff.
10. Researchers found when England
launched a nationwide program to implement
stricter hospital sanitation and antibiotic pre-
scription controls, the rate of C. diff infection
fell 80 percent.
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7 Things to Know About MRSA
By Mary Rechtoris
M
ethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a
prevalent infection that is resistant to various
antibiotic strains.
Here are seven things to know about MRSA.
1. CDC data finds MRSA causes 8,000 invasive infections
annually.
2. Each year, 11,285 people die from MRSA-related in-
fections.
3. MRSA rates decreased 31 percent between 2005 and
2011.
4. Hospital-acquired MRSA infection rates fell 54 in the
aforementioned time frame.
5. In February 2017, NASA sent a MRSA sample to space
in hopes the medical community can learn more about
how superbugs mutate and become antibiotic-resistant.
Anita Goel, PhD, lead study researcher, told CNN, "We
are excited to put MRSA on the International Space Sta-
tion and investigate the effects of microgravity on the
growth and mutation patterns of these bugs."
6. MRSA cost the U.S. healthcare system $9.7 billion in
2005.
7. A 2011 study found implementing strict infection con-
trol protocols lowered VA hospitals' MRSA infection rate
in intensive care units by 62 percent over a two and half
year period.
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Ambulatory Services Market to
Hit $2.5T by 2022: 5 Key Notes
By Mary Rechtoris
T
he global ambulatory services market will expand rap-
idly through 2022, according to a Market Research Fu-
ture report.
Here are five key notes:
1. By 2022, the market is set to hit nearly $2.45 trillion, increas-
ing at a 4.7 percent compound annual growth rate.
2. Increased healthcare infrastructure and more government
initiatives aimed at providing affordable healthcare facilities
are driving market growth in Asia-Pacific.
3. North America is the market leader and is likely to expand
substantially through 2022.
4. Europe trails behind North America in market share with
the report noting this region will experience steady growth
over the next several years.
5. Leading companies operating in the market include:
• Nashville, Tenn.-based AmSurg
• Deerfield, Ill.-based Surgical Care Affiliates
• Nashville-based Surgery Partners
• Pismo Beach, Calif.-based SurgCenter Development
• Nashville-based Hospital Corporation of America
• Singapore-based Healthway Medical Corp.
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