2008 Was the Year of MRSA Headlines

November 25, 2008

It’s been a lively year for infection prevention issues and news, hasn’t it? As my final editor’s letter for 2008, I thought I’d take a look at what made news this year. It’s no surprise that MRSA continued to make the headlines, as did a number of outbreaks associated with hospital and clinic care, as well as in the community (a most recent example is the MRSA infections among NFL players and other professional athletes). In my quest to deliver to ICT readers their daily ration of news, I’ve posted thousands of stories to our Web site this year, and I can tell you definitely have a nose for (MRSA) news. That topic appeared in nearly half of the top news items we posted to our Web site this year! So, without further ado, here are the most popular news items from 2008, in order of your click-throughs:

1. Aug. 8: CMS Adds SSIs to List of “Do-Not-Pay” Conditions

2. Sept. 15: Is Re-Emerging Superbug the Next MRSA?

3. Feb. 29: 40,000 Patients May Have Been Exposed to Hepatitis C

4. Sept. 22: Hand Hygiene Habits Remain Stagnant

5. Oct. 28: Researchers Downplay MRSA Screening as Effective Infection Control Intervention

6. Oct. 6: New Study: Disinfectants Can Make Bacteria Resistant to Treatment

7. July 2: Being an MRSA Carrier Increases Risk of Infection and Death

8. Oct. 8: Science-Based Strategies Take Aim at HAIs

9. Sept. 8: Study Reveals Promising Method for Reducing MRSA Infections in Hospital ICUs

10. June 4: MRSA Caused Pneumonia Deaths During 2006-2007 Flu Season in Young, Healthy People

11. Sept. 8: Will New Dress Code for UK Doctors Cut Infection Rates?

12. Sept. 23: Key Ways to Measure Drug-Resistant Infections in Healthcare