Risk of infection in the hospital

More and more people are becoming infected in German hospitals. Mainly responsible for MRSA bacterial strains that are resistant to antibiotics.

(10.05.2010) Actually, patients in hospitals should cure their illnesses, but according to the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) about 35,000 to 40,000 people get infected annually in Hessian hospitals. The infection rate has increased by 14 percent compared to the years 2008 and 2009. In isolation wards, the number of infections has even increased by six percent. According to further estimates nationwide, around 1.5 million people fall ill in hospitals. Of these, 40,000 infections are even fatal.

The most frequent and serious complications are caused by MRSA bacterial strains (multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). These MRSA bacteria are antibiotics resistant and are produced where most antibiotics are used - in hospitals. They lead to skin diseases, severe inflammation of the heart, pneumonia and blood poisoning.

To counter this accumulation of diseases in hospitals, the experts recommend participating in a hygiene management program. According to the Techniker Krankenkasse, 100 of the 170 hospitals in Hesse are currently involved. The program is designed to monitor and control infections. According to experts, the best remedy for infections in hospitals is frequent hand-washing disinfecting hands. However, the emergence of resistance to antibiotics is also favored by the use of detergents containing so-called quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC) with disinfecting effect. Because the same genes of the bacteria, which provide the QAV resistance, also give them the resistance to antibiotics. (Sb)

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