A level IV trauma center in Washington State has installed copper components throughout its facility as another way of reducing hospital-acquired infections and keeping their patients safe.
Pullman Regional Hospital has become an early adopter of antimicrobial copper after studies found that the age-old metal could continuously kill deadly bacteria.
Each year, 2 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a hospital-acquired infection and nearly 100,000 people die. These infections are caused by common bacteria such as E. coli, MRSA, C. diff, CRE and VRE.
“It is a very serious problem,” said Ed Harrich, the director of surgical services for Pullman Regional Hospital. “I think every hospital across the nation is doing everything they can to try to deal with it the best that they can. But there’s bioburden on everything and people aren’t good at hand washing and there’s cross-contamination everywhere you go.”
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7378651-copper-development-association-cda-pullman-regional-hospital-keep-patients-safe-antimicrobial-copper/
What if there were a way to prevent a leading cause of childhood death, but three out of four of us were doing it wrong? The startling truth is that a car seat can dramatically reduce childhood death and injury from motor vehicle crashes, but 75 percent are installed incorrectly.1
With Child Passenger Safety Week upon us, the good news is that community-based programs are making a difference. Buckle Up for Life is a national education program, created in 2004 by Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Toyota, to save children's lives. Over the last ten years, it has grown to include a network of more than a dozen of the nation's leading children's hospitals and has educated more than 17,000 people about the proper use of car seats and seat belts. Toyota's sponsorship has provided funding for over 40,000 car seats for families in need.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7318951-toyota-cincinnati-children-s-hospital-child-passenger-safety-buckle-up-for-life/
Each year, 40 percent of all injury-related emergency room visits and 42 percent of all injury-related deaths happen between May and August.* Additionally, one in four children ages 14 and younger will sustain an injury that requires medical attention. The good news is that most of these injuries are preventable with education and simple precautions.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/7141051-shriners-hospital-for-children-nascar-david-ragan-summer-safety
The full set of data from EUCLID, the largest ever prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) across Europe, were presented today at the 24th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID). Data from 482 European hospitals reveal that in a single day, an average of 109 cases of CDI are missed due to a lack of clinical suspicion or inadequate laboratory testing, potentially leading to more than 39,000 missed cases in Europe each year.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/71400524-EUCLID-clostridium-difficile-infection
More than 80,000 healthcare workers and their communities from across the country and around the world joined together in the Medline Pink Glove Dance for breast cancer online video competition. After a hard-fought dance battle, the online votes are in and Medline is pleased to name Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pa., as the winner. As a result, $25,000 will be donated to their charity of choice, the American Cancer Society, providing free transportation for treatment to central Pennsylvania breast cancer patients in need. Additionally, Medline and participating hospitals will donate another $1 million to the National Breast Cancer Foundation and various local breast cancer charities nationwide. More than $2.2 million has been donated through the campaign and Medline Foundation since 2005.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/64450-medline-pink-glove-dance-video-competition-winners-breast-cancer-education
As millions of Americans begin choosing a health plan for the first time under the Affordable Care Act, the new Healthgrades American Hospital Quality Outcomes 2014: Report to the Nation released today reveals how hospital selection can dramatically impact a patient’s health. The report demonstrates that individuals are far more likely to die or suffer complications at hospitals receiving the lowest Healthgrades rating. In fact, each year an estimated 234,252 lives could potentially be saved and 157,418 complications could be avoided if all hospitals performed similarly to the highest rated hospitals.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63942-healthgrades-american-hospital-quality-outcomes-2014-report-to-the-nation
The science of bionics helped the more than 1 million Americans with leg amputations take a giant step forward, as the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) revealed clinical applications for the world’s first thought-controlled bionic leg in this week’s New England Journal of Medicine. This innovative technology represents a significant milestone in the rapidly-growing field of bionics. Until now, only thought-controlled bionic arms were available to amputees.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63339-rehabilitation-institute-of-chicago-first-thought-controlled-bionic-leg
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today the initiation of its Phase III clinical program called Cdiffense to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of primary symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a potentially life-threatening, spore-forming bacterium that causes intestinal disease. The risk of C. diff increases with age, antibiotic treatment and time spent in hospitals or nursing homes, where multiple cases can lead to outbreaks. The investigational vaccine is designed to help protect at-risk individuals from C. diff, which is emerging as a leading cause of life-threatening, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) worldwide.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/62652-sanofi-pasteur-initiates-phase-iii-study-of-investigational-vaccine
Hospital-acquired infections can be deadly – and many times preventable. Nearly every major public health organization agrees that ineffective “hand-hygiene” (hand washing or using disinfecting sprays, wipes or gels) is one of the most significant contributors to the problem. Further compounding the problem is the fact that compliance rates among caregivers are difficult to track and often found to be low.
Hill-Rom has developed a new system to help hospitals monitor hand-hygiene rates: the Hill-Rom® Hand Hygiene Compliance Solution. The new offering, which is now available to hospitals nationwide, provides real-time monitoring and staff reminders, simplifies reporting, and can use the same hardware and devices as other Hill-Rom real-time locating solutions.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61990-hill-rom-launches-new-hospital-hand-hygiene-monitoring-solution
Vet to Vet USA puts
on a big lunch for the injured troops who won't be home for the
holidays each December in Bonham, Dallas, and across Texas at the VA
hospitals. Vet to Vet USA puts on a big lunch for the injured troops
who won't be home for the holidays each December in Bonham, Dallas, and
across Texas at the VA hospitals. Contact Master Sgt. Jess Johnson to
donate or volunteer at http://www.vettovetusa.com ...Video by Brian Bearden for Vet to Vet USA.
New research has revealed that the use of Antimicrobial Copper surfaces in hospital rooms can reduce the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) by 58% as compared to patients treated in Intensive Care Units with non-copper touch surfaces. In the United States, 1 out of every 20 hospital patients develops an HAI, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths per year. Although numerous strategies have been developed to decrease these infections, Antimicrobial Copper is the only strategy that works continuously, has been scientifically proven to be effective and doesn’t depend on human behavior, according to a recently published study in the SHEA Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/61120-antimicrobial-copper-surfaces-reduce-healthcare-acquired-infections
Little Colby Boudreaux is moving his legs and feet. While this is something most parents take for granted, for Colby it’s remarkable. He underwent a life-changing surgery at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans to correct the myelomeningocele birth defect, the most serious form of spina bifida… 12 weeks before he was born. During a groundbreaking surgery, Ochsner Medical Center’s fetal surgery team of 18 physicians and nurses operated on the 23-week-old fetus while still in his mother’s uterus, a procedure that fewer than 10 hospitals in the United States are able to perform.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/59661-ochsner-medical-center-first-in-utero-surgery-corrects-mmc-birth-defect