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| Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae |
Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) has been deemed an urgent public health hazard by the CDC. (Sources: Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report2013/pdf/ar-threats-2013-508.pdf and the 2012 CRE Toolkit – Guidance for Control of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE): http://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/cre-toolkit/background.html ) With that in mind, the HAI Advisory Group recently formed two Task Forces to concentrate on the prevention and detection of CRE. Some pertinent information regarding CRE infection is provided below followed by details for ongoing and planned activities to assess and reduce current prevalence in affected healthcare settings.
Background:
CRE are
a group of bacteria found in the gut.
They can cause a variety of diseases including pneumonia, UTIs, and
serious bloodstream or wound infections.
CRE are resistant to commonly used antibiotics and occasionally to all
available antibiotics, which makes them a serious threat to public health.
Who is at risk?
Patients
who require devices like ventilators, urinary catheters, or intravenous
catheters, and patients who are taking long courses of certain antibiotics are
most at risk. CRE have been found among patients in both acute and long term
care settings.
How is it spread?
CRE
bacteria are spread by person-to-person transmission, primarily in healthcare
settings, through contact with those infected or colonized. Due to the movement
of patients throughout the healthcare system, if CRE are a problem in one
facility, then typically they are a problem in other facilities in the region
as well.
How is it controlled?
Treatment
is difficult, and not possible in some cases.
As a result, prevention and control measures are critical. Standard practices such as hand washing,
contact precautions, and communication of CRE status with
transferring/receiving facilities can help prevent the spread of disease.
