Newswise — (NEW YORK, NY, Jan. 5, 2015) – Elderly patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are about 35 percent more likely to die within five years of leaving the hospital if they develop an infection during their stay, a new study finds. Preventing two of the most common health care-associated infections – bloodstream infections caused by central lines and pneumonia caused by ventilators – can increase the odds that these patients survive and reduce the cost of their care by more than $150,000, according to a study published in the January 2015 issue of theAmerican Journal of Infection Control.
\”Any death from preventable infections is one too many,\” says senior study author Patricia Stone, PhD, RN, FAAN, director of the Center for Health Policy at Columbia University School of Nursing. \”We’ve known for decades what works to prevent infections and save lives. Now, our study shows just how much money can be saved by investing in prevention.\”
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