MRSA Scorecard Provides Hospital-Wide View of MRSA Infections
DUBLIN, Ohio, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cardinal Health, a
global provider of products and services that improve the safety and
productivity of health care, today announced a new service to help
hospitals combat methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
infections that are responsible for an estimated 94,000 life-threatening
conditions and 18,650 deaths annually in the U.S.(1)
Cardinal Health is deploying a new MRSA Scorecard to hospitals that
monitor infections using the company's MedMined(TM) services. The new
scorecard provides a hospital-wide view of MRSA, allowing infection control
practitioners to track the types and locations of MRSA infections
throughout the hospital. The MRSA Scorecard uses Cardinal Health's
patent-pending Nosocomial Infection Marker (NIM) methodology, which allows
hospitals to identify patients who have tested positive for the bacteria
and distinguish between those who likely acquired the infection in the
hospital. Through this real-time view, hospitals can rapidly dispatch
resources to limit the spread of infections.
The MRSA scorecard is available to all hospitals using MedMined(TM)
services and will be offered free of charge for four months through a
sponsorship program from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company).
"The MRSA Scorecard will help hospitals make evidence-based decisions
about the most appropriate way to respond to MRSA in their facilities,"
said Patrick Hymel, MD, vice president and medical director for Cardinal
Health's MedMined(TM) services. "This new tool enables a comprehensive and
consistent approach to preventing these dangerous infections."
Cardinal Health provides nearly 250 major U.S. hospitals with automated
electronic infection prevention surveillance and management systems
designed to identify health care associated infections (HAIs) in real time,
enabling immediate interventions to prevent subsequent adverse patient
events.
HAIs affect one in 20 patients admitted each year. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), eradicating MRSA has
become a national priority -- one that requires all health care facilities
and agencies to assume responsibility. A recent national survey done by the
Association for Professions in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC)
indicates an estimated 46 per 1,000 patients are either infected or
colonized with MRSA annually, a rate about 10 times greater than previous
MRSA estimates.(2) As a result, most U.S. hospitals are in the process of
designing and implementing aggressive infection prevention programs
designed to stop the spread of MRSA in their health care institutions.
About Cardinal Health
Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE: CAH) is an
$87 billion, global company serving the health care industry with products
and services that help hospitals, physician offices and pharmacies reduce
costs, improve safety, productivity and profitability, and deliver better
care to patients. With a focus on making supply chains more efficient,
reducing hospital-acquired infections and breaking the cycle of harmful
medication errors, Cardinal Health develops market-leading technologies,
including Alaris(R) IV pumps, Pyxis(R) automated dispensing systems,
MedMined(TM) data mining service and the CareFusion(TM) patient
identification system. The company also manufactures medical and surgical
products and is one of the largest distributors of pharmaceuticals and
medical supplies worldwide. Ranked No. 19 on the Fortune 500 and No. 1 in
its sector on Fortune's ranking of Most Admired firms, Cardinal Health
employs more than 40,000 people on five continents. More information about
the company may be found at http://www.cardinalhealth.com.
(1) "Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in
the United States," The Journal of the American Medical Association,
Vol. 298 No. 15, October 17, 2007.
(2) Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.
(2007). Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) study
results. http://www.apic.org/Content/NavigationMenu/ResearchFoundation
/NationalMRSAPrevalenceStudy/APIC_MRSA_STUDY_EXEC.pdf
SOURCE Cardinal Health
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Related links:
http://www.cardinalhealth.com
CONTACT:
Media, Troy Kirkpatrick, +1-614-757-6225,
troy.kirkpatrick@cardinalhealth.com, or Investors, Bob Reflogal,
+1-614-757-7542, bob.reflogal@cardinalhealth.com, both of
Cardinal Health
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