If you’re looking for ways to better contain bacteria with unusual antibiotic resistance, take a look at suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and find out if your state is following them.
- Know what state and local lab support is available and what isolates (pure samples of a germ) to send for testing. Develop a plan to respond rapidly to unusual genes and germs when as soon as they occur.
- Assess the quality and consistency of infection control in health care facilities across the state. Help improve practices.
- Coordinate with affected healthcare facilities, the new Antibiotic Resistance Lab Network regional labs, and CDC for every case of unusual resistance. Investigations should include onsite infection control assessments and colonization screenings for people who might have been exposed. Continue assessments and screenings until the spread is controlled.
- Provide timely lab results and recommendations to affected healthcare facilities and providers. If a patient came from or was transferred to another facility, alert that facility.
You can learn more at the CDC website.