Late last month, USA Today carried a article about Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) Infection which started a spate of stories about the problem.
Since CRE has become resistant to almost all available antibiotics and can contribute to death in 40 percent of patients who become infected, it is something about which one should be aware.
Still, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been issuing notices about it since at least 2009 so this is not something new.
The CDC notes that CRE infections occur among sick patients who are receiving treatment for other conditions, and that those whose care requires devices like ventilators (breathing machines), urinary (bladder) catheters, or intravenous (vein) catheters, and patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics are most at risk.
The CDC recommends that patients should expect all doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers to wash their hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before or after touching your body or tubes going into your body.
It also recommends that patients clean their own hands often especially before preparing for eating food; before touching your eyes, nose or mouth; before and after changing bandages or handling medical devices; after using the bathroom; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
I agree entirely about the need for cleanliness in hospitals and other medical settings, but I can’t imagine a patient who is so seriously ill that he or she needs a ventilator and/or catheter(s), stopping the doctor or nurse and saying, “Excuse me, will you please go wash your hands?” The increased awareness will have to come at the level of the medical personnel themselves, and of their practice administrators, if any.
Fortunately, I believe most medical practitioners are already aware and careful regarding cleanliness, and also use gloves when that is appropriate. There are other ways these germs can reach us besides the hands of doctors or nurses, and we might want to be checking those out, too.