Guest guest Posted March 7, 2001 Report Share Posted March 7, 2001 >From the Vancouver Province, March 7, 2001 : by Ian Austin " With more than 8,000 Canadians expected to die with hospital-borne infections this year, doctors are calling for " a national approach " to combat this pressing public health threat. The cost of treating patients for infections ACQUIRED IN HOSPITAL has reached an estimated ONE BILLION DOLLARS per year. Ironically, budget cuts have played a role in turning Canadian hospitals into breeding grounds for deadly infections. According to the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of Canada, about 200,000 patients this year will be hit with infected surgical wounds, blood infections and antibiotic-resistant organisms -- picked up AFTER they are admitted to hospital. That EXCEEDS the expected incidence of new CANCER cases this year. " This ranks tight up there with cancer and heart disease, but it doesn't have the visibility or attention it deserves " , says Dr. Dick Zoutman, physician director of the association and an infectious disease expert at Kingston General Hospital. Dr. Kendall, BC's provincial health officer, helped author a recently released report on the problems facing BC. " Doctors and nurses can inadvertently spread the antibiotic- resistant bugs from one patient to another, " said Kendall. " Part of the problem is antibiotics given to animals in small doses to promote growth. You can see antibiotic-resistant strains in the animals, then in the people that handle the animals, then in the public at large. " Kendall's report shows that huge costs can be incurred. " Treatment of one patient with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis can cost $500,000 -- 25 times more than the cost of treating a non-resistant form of the disease " , reads the report. Kendall said antibiotics are often handed out unnecessarily, noting that in Canada half of ear infection sufferers receive antibiotics, while in Holland only 15% are treated with antibiotics. " INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THEY CAN LOOK AS FAR AS HOLLAND, BUT THEY CAN'T SEE AS FAR AS GERMANY, WHICH USES OZONE TO CHEAPLY ELIMINATE THE DRUG-RESISTANT SUPERBUGS. [All capitals are mine] Best of Health! Dr. Saul Pressman, DCh, LOH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 9, 2001 Report Share Posted March 9, 2001 From: Saul Pressman <saul@...> Sent: Wednesday, March 07, 2001 10:08 PM Subject: [oxyplus] Re: Dangerous hospitals > >From the Vancouver Province, > March 7, 2001 : > > by Ian Austin > > " With more than 8,000 Canadians expected to die with hospital-borne > infections this year, doctors are calling for " a national approach " to > combat this pressing public health threat. > > The cost of treating patients for infections ACQUIRED IN HOSPITAL has > reached an estimated ONE BILLION DOLLARS per year. Ironically, budget cuts > have played a role in turning Canadian hospitals into breeding grounds for > deadly infections. > > According to the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of > Canada, about 200,000 patients this year will be hit with infected surgical > wounds, blood infections and antibiotic-resistant organisms -- picked up > AFTER they are admitted to hospital. That EXCEEDS the expected incidence of > new CANCER cases this year. > > " This ranks tight up there with cancer and heart disease, but it doesn't > have the visibility or attention it deserves " , says Dr. Dick Zoutman, > physician director of the association and an infectious disease expert at > Kingston General Hospital. > > Dr. Kendall, BC's provincial health officer, helped author a recently > released report on the problems facing BC. " Doctors and nurses can > inadvertently spread the antibiotic- resistant bugs from one patient to > another, " said Kendall. " Part of the problem is antibiotics given to animals > in small doses to promote growth. You can see antibiotic-resistant strains > in the animals, then in the people that handle the animals, then in the > public at large. " > > Kendall's report shows that huge costs can be incurred. " Treatment of one > patient with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis can cost $500,000 -- 25 times > more than the cost of treating a non-resistant form of the disease " , reads > the report. > > Kendall said antibiotics are often handed out unnecessarily, noting that in > Canada half of ear infection sufferers receive antibiotics, while in Holland > only 15% are treated with antibiotics. " > > > > INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THEY CAN LOOK AS FAR AS HOLLAND, BUT THEY > CAN'T SEE AS FAR AS GERMANY, WHICH USES OZONE TO CHEAPLY ELIMINATE THE > DRUG-RESISTANT SUPERBUGS. > > [All capitals are mine] > > Best of Health! > Dr. Saul Pressman, DCh, LOH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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