Report: Millions Infected in Europe’s Hospitals

More than 3 million patients a year acquire some sort of infection in Europe’s hospitals, a new report says. On any given day, about 1 out of 18 patients has such an infection, according to the report. The European Centre for Diseases Prevention and Control (ECDC) published the study. It was based on a survey of 1,000 hospitals. Intensive-care units had the highest rates of hospital-acquired infection. About 20% of ICU patients were affected. Infections of the lungs and bloodstream were the most common. There were also many infections of the urinary tract and at the site of surgery. Many infections were drug-resistant. That includes 40% of all infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. This type of Staph infection is often called MRSA. The ECDC urged hospitals to strengthen infection-control programs. Reuters Health news service wrote about the report.