Drug-Resistant Bacteria: New "Insurgency"

(Via NYTimes) Doctors treating soldiers returning from Iraq are finding an increasing number of them battling infections caused by a drug-resistant bacteria picked up in Iraq. Acinetobacter baumannii are not unique to Iraq and can be easily and effectively treated if doctors use the right antibiotics: amikacin and imipenem. The bacteria may infect wounds, bloodstream, bones, the lungs and other parts of the body, is highly adaptable, and spreads easily from one location to another.


"The bacteria pose a challenge because they have natural defenses that let them fight off many antibiotics, and they are also good at improvising ways to outfox new drugs that are thrown at them, said Dr. Arjun Srinivasan, a medical epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, he said, they are extremely hardy, and in one experiment proved capable of living on surfaces for up to 20 days. That makes them a menace in hospital rooms, where they can lurk on bed rails, tables and other furnishings and infect one patient after another unless every item in the room is thoroughly disinfected."


Stay alert. Be safe. Take care of yourselves. Diligence in healthcare is key.



technorati tags: Iraq, healthcare, bacteria