As 2015 drew to a close, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality announced some good news: Fewer US patients are dying from hospital-acquired conditions like pressure ulcers and catheter-associated infections.
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Infectious Diseases & Vaccines
More bad news about the global spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Last month, researchers in China reported on a gene that makes bacteria resistant to a last-ditch antibiotic. Now, researchers have found that gene in other countries. Meanwhile, CDC reports findings on “nightmare bacteria” CRE.
As many of us indulged in Thanksgiving meals last week, NPR’s Planet Money podcast and WAMU’s Metro Connection shared stories on ways food banks are using technology to improve food distribution.
Researchers in China identified a gene that confers resistance to a last-resort antibiotic, and then found that gene in E. coli isolates from raw meat samples, pigs, and 16% of hospital patients with infections.
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Multistate foodborne illness outbreaks accounted for only 3% of the 4,163 foodborne outbreaks during 2010-2014, but they were responsible for 34% of hospitalizations and 56% of outbreak-associated deaths.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that NIH has made progress on ensuring that clinical research includes women, but it could do more.
Findings from new and old studies suggest that requiring people to pay more for their healthcare results in less consumption of healthcare — but that’s not necessarily a good thing.
Recent pieces address the impact of soda taxes on consumption; sports’ teams approaches to preventing antibiotic-resistant infections; doctors’ responses to women’s pain; and more.