Implementing antibiotic prescription controls lowered C. diff. infections by 80% in England: 4 key points

The Lancet published a study finding lowering antibiotics could substantially reduce certain types of hospital-acquired infections, according to The New York Times.

Here are four key points:

1. Researchers found when England launched a nationwide program to implement stricter hospital sanitation and antibiotic prescription controls, the rate of C. difficile infection in England fell 80 percent.

2. The study's senior author Mark Wilcox, MD, noted it is paramount for hospitals to implement cleaning initiatives in tandem with antibiotic control. Dr. Wilcox is a microbiology professor at the University of Leeds in England.

3. The Antibiotic Resistance Patient Safety Atlas found antibiotic resistance is rapidly increasing with some antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing nearly 25 percent of healthcare-acquired infections.

4. Based on the issue's severity, the Association for Professional Infection Control and Epidemiology made antibiotic resistance and antibiotic stewardship one of its six top advocacy issues for 2017.

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