Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Thomas R. Frieden, nicknamed these organisms "nightmare bacteria." This name stems from their ability to pass on the traits that leave them resistant to drugs. This case has been found in 42 of the 50 United States, and most commonly in the Northeast, specifically New York.
In order to reduce the spread of these infections, hospitals are urged to to ruthlessly scrub all work stations and have all employees and guests constantly wash their hands. They are also encouraged to identify infected people, isolate them, and assign dedicated care teams and equipment to only those infected. Any intravenous line or catheter should be removed as quickly as possible, because they are "avenues of infection."
I am wondering if the Xenex pulsed UV disinfectant system which is a new mobile robot that disinfects hospital rooms with blasts of UV light is being used to reduce Carbapenem-resistant Enterobateriaceae (CRE). This new technology is able to kill a broad spectrum of bacteria, including the very resilient bacterium Clostridium-difficile, known as C. diff and Methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus-aureus, or MRSA.
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