Infection Control Today Magazine

Septicemia

Blood Infections are the Most Costly Hospital Condition

Septicemia, an illness caused by blood infections with bacteria such as E. coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), was the single most expensive condition treated in U.S. hospitals at nearly $15.4 billion in 2009, according to the latest News and ...More
October 6, 2011
Posted in News, Infections & Pathogens
Neisseria Meningitidis Disseminates Itself by Sending Out Scouts

Although, in the majority of cases, the localized presence of Neisseria meningitidis in the throat has no consequence, it can sometimes lead to meningitis or septicemia. The seriousness of these two infections is driving researchers from around the world to improve their ...More
February 17, 2011
Posted in News
Septicemia Among Conditions Driving Hospital Costs

Hospital charges for the most expensive patient stays at U.S. hospitals in 2008 averaged about $18,000 per day, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These patients were most likely to be in the hospital for treatment of septicemia, hardening of the ...More
October 18, 2010
Posted in News
Hospital Chain Investigated for High Rates of Septicemia, Possible Fraudulent Billing

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that a hospital chain in Southern California is being investigated by the Department of Justice and other authorities for its unusually high rate of septicemia mong older patients and whether this is a red flag pointing to fraudulent ...More
October 13, 2010
Posted in News
Insulin May Reduce Several Inflammatory Factors Induced by Bacterial Infection

Treating intensive care patients who develop life-threatening bacterial infections, or septicemia, with insulin potentially could reduce their chances of succumbing to the infection, if results of a new preliminary study can be replicated in a larger study. A paper ...More
September 9, 2010
Posted in News
Treating Blood Infections Tops Annual Hospital Cost Increases

Hospital costs for treating septicemia increased by an average of nearly 12 percent each year from 1997 to 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Costs for treating this potentially deadly blood infection ...More
March 24, 2010
Posted in News
Study Finds That Two Treatment Strategies for Severe Sepsis Show Similar Survival Rates

A comparison of two strategies for treating severe sepsis or septic shock finds that using lactate levels measured in blood samples showed a similar short-term survival rate compared to a treatment regimen using central venous oxygen saturation measured using a specialized ...More
February 23, 2010
Posted in News
Surgeons Discover Hormone That Could Protect Against Sepsis

A hormone naturally found in the fat that surrounds the abdominal organs for the first time has been linked to death related to sepsis, surgeons reported at the 2009 Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons. A study presented at the conference showed that low ...More
October 14, 2009
Posted in News
Hospitals Join Forces to Improve ICU Care

Hospitals in New Jersey and Pennsylvania are working together to improve care in the intensive care unit (ICU). Critical care is expensive, with ICU costs representing more than 20 percent of a hospital’s total operating costs. To help hospitals accelerate the pace of ...More
June 25, 2009
Posted in News
Patients With Severe Sepsis Benefit from Hemoperfusion

A preliminary study suggests that a therapy for severe sepsis or septic shock that included the use of an antibiotic-based “hemoperfusion” device to remove toxic products of bacteria from the blood in addition to conventional treatment resulted in a reduced risk ...More
June 17, 2009
Posted in News