Research on antibiotic use, drug resistant organisms and effectiveness of electronic faucets

Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Annual Meeting research preview

2011-04-03

(Press-News.org) WHAT: A special media phone briefing with leading infectious disease scientists and healthcare-associated infection experts who will headline the 2011 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America's (SHEA) Annual Meeting

WHO: Arjun Srinivasan, MD, Associate Director of Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention Programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Steven Gordon, MD, President, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Makoto Jones, MD, Salt Lake City VA Healthcare System Dawn Terashita, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Emily Sydnor, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

WHEN: Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 1 p.m. ET

RSVP: Contact Tamara Moore, tmoore@gymr.com, to receive the conference number and embargoed materials

Selected studies include: Findings from a large, multi-year study of antibiotic use in Veterans Health Administration's acute care facilities shows use of "drugs of last resort" is on the rise. The dramatic increase in use of broad spectrum antibiotics, including carbapenems, is alarming because overuse of these drugs could weaken their efficacy, threatening their effectiveness against these and other emerging infections. (Embargoed for Sunday, April 3 at 7 am CT). Researchers with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have found high rates of the multi-drug resistant pathogen, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (CRKP), previously not considered prevalent on the West Coast. CRKP is a major public health concern that can be associated with higher mortality, longer hospital stays and increased health care costs. (Embargoed for Sunday, April 3 at 7 am CT). A study from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has determined that electronic faucets are more likely to become contaminated with unacceptably high levels of bacteria compared with traditional manually operated faucets. (Embargoed for Thursday, March 31 at 7 am CT). ### About SHEA's 2011 Annual Meeting: SHEA's Annual Scientific Meeting is the premier scientific meeting for healthcare epidemiologists and other individuals working in the field of healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention and control. The meeting will take place April 1-4, 2011 in Dallas, TX.

SHEA is a professional society representing more than 1,800 physicians and other healthcare professionals around the world with expertise in healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention and control. SHEA's mission is to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections and advance the field of healthcare epidemiology. The society leads this field by promoting science and research and providing high-quality education and training in epidemiologic methods and prevention strategies. SHEA upholds the value and critical contributions of healthcare epidemiology to improving patient care and healthcare worker safety in all healthcare settings. For more information, visit SHEA's website, www.shea-online.org.

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