Drug-resistant bacteria spreading in U.S. health care facilities
Experts say fast action needed to combat it
Drug-resistant germs called carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, are on the rise and have become more resistant to last-resort antibiotics during the past decade, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vital Signs report. These bacteria are causing more hospitalized patients to get infections that, in some cases, are impossible to treat.
The findings, published in the CDC’s Vital Signs report, are “a call to action for the entire health care community to work urgently – individually, regionally and nationally – to protect patients,” according to a statement released by the CDC.