The Silent Invasion: Fungal Infections Sweeping Across US Hospitals

March 21, 2023 / esfein / Leave a comment

Hospital-acquired infections have long been a concern for healthcare professionals and patients alike. In recent years, a silent invasion has been taking place in US hospitals – the rise of life-threatening fungal infections. This article delves into the causes, consequences, and preventative measures for combating these infections, backed by research from five reputable sources.

The Fungal Foe: Candida auris

One of the most concerning fungal infections sweeping across US hospitals is Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant yeast [1]. Since its first identification in Japan in 2009, C. auris has quickly become a global public health threat due to its ability to cause severe infections and its resistance to antifungal medications [2]. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of cases in the US has grown significantly in recent years, with hospitalization rates skyrocketing [3].

Why are Fungal Infections on the Rise?

There are several factors contributing to the rise of fungal infections in US hospitals:

Overuse of antibiotics: Prolonged and inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can kill off beneficial bacteria, allowing fungi to thrive [4].
Increased use of medical devices: The use of invasive devices such as catheters and ventilators has increased, creating opportunities for fungal infections to enter the body [5].
Immunosuppressed patients: Many patients in hospitals are immunocompromised due to chronic diseases, cancer treatments, or organ transplants, making them more susceptible to fungal infections [6].
Climate change: Rising temperatures may contribute to the spread of fungal infections by providing more favorable conditions for their growth [7].

Combating the Fungal Threat

To prevent the spread of fungal infections in US hospitals, several measures need to be implemented:

Infection control practices: Strict adherence to hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, and the proper use of personal protective equipment can help reduce the transmission of fungal infections [8].
Antifungal stewardship: Promoting the appropriate use of antifungal medications can help prevent the emergence of drug-resistant fungi [9].
Early detection and treatment: Rapid identification of fungal infections is crucial for initiating prompt and effective treatment, reducing the risk of complications and transmission [10].
Surveillance and reporting: Improved surveillance and reporting of fungal infections can help healthcare professionals identify trends, respond quickly to outbreaks, and develop targeted interventions [11].
Climate change mitigation: Addressing the root causes of climate change may help reduce the spread of fungal infections by limiting the growth and spread of these organisms [12].

Conclusion

The silent invasion of fungal infections in US hospitals is a pressing public health issue that requires urgent attention. By understanding the factors contributing to the rise of these infections and implementing effective prevention and control measures, healthcare professionals can protect vulnerable patients and safeguard the health of our communities.

Source List

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Candida auris. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/index.html

[2] Lockhart, S. R., Etienne, K. A., Vallabhaneni, S., Farooqi, J., Chowdhary, A., Govender, N. P., … & Chiller, T. M. (2017). Simultaneous emergence of multidrug-resistant Candida auris on 3 continents confirmed by whole-genome sequencing and epidemiological analyses. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 64(2), 134-140. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/64/2/134/2732512

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Tracking Candida auris. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/tracking-c-auris.html

[4] Casadevall, A., Kontoyiannis, D. P., & Robert, V. (2019). On the emergence of Candida auris: climate change, azoles, swamps, and birds. mBio, 10(4), e01397-19. Retrieved from https://mbio.asm.org/content/10/4/e01397-19

[5] Pemán, J., & Salavert, M. (2016). Invasive fungal infections in critically ill patients. Revista Española de Quimioterapia, 29(Suppl 1), 29-32. Retrieved from https://seq.es/seq/0214-3429/29/sup1/Peman.pdf

[6] Benedict, K., Jackson, B. R., Chiller, T., & Beer, K. D. (2019). Estimation of direct healthcare costs of fungal diseases in the United States. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 68(11), 1791-1797. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/68/11/1791/5094854

[7] García-Solache, M. A., & Casadevall, A. (2010). Global warming will bring new fungal diseases for mammals. mBio, 1(1), e00061-10. Retrieved from https://mbio.asm.org/content/1/1/e00061-10

[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2019). Infection prevention and control for Candida auris. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/candida-auris/c-auris-infection-control.html

[9] Ostrowsky, B., Greenko, J., Adams, E., Quinn, M., O’Brien, B., Chaturvedi, V., … & Vallabhaneni, S. (2020). Candida auris isolates resistant to three classes of antifungal medications—New York, 2019. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69 (1), 6-9. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6901a2.htm

[10] Kullberg, B. J., & Arendrup, M. C. (2015). Invasive Candidiasis. New England Journal of Medicine, 373(15), 1445-1456. Retrieved from https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1315399

[11] Buehrle, D. J., Shields, R. K., Clarke, L. G., Potoski, B. A., & Clancy, C. J. (2017). Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia: Risk factors for mortality and microbiologic treatment failure. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 61(1), e01243-16. Retrieved from https://aac.asm.org/content/61/1/e01243-16

[12] Watts, N., Adger, W. N., Agnolucci, P., Blackstock, J., Byass, P., Cai, W., … & Cox, P. M. (2015). Health and climate change: policy responses to protect public health. The Lancet, 386(10006), 1861-1914. Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60854-6/fulltext

For Humanity’s Sake, Wash Your Hands! And Look Good Doing It!

June 13, 2013 / esfein / Leave a comment

http://www.condenaststore.com/-sp/Man-washing-his-hands-in-restroom-Signs-read-Employees-must-wash-hands-New-Yorker-Cartoon-Prints_i8546202_.htm

Do you use hot water when you wash your hands? Do you spend longer than 10 seconds when washing your hands? Or are you the type of person that utilizes the restrooms in a hurried fashion and then bolts out, skipping over the ritual of killing the bacteria that is festering on your hands? Although I am completely against some commercial anti-bacterial soaps, I am still a believer of a healthy and clean body. That being said, wash your hands before you shake mine! And people wonder why some of us are antisocial.

A study conducted at Michigan State University yielded that from a sample size of 3,739 people observed in a college town, only 5.3 percent washed their hands for 15 or more seconds. 10 percent of this did not wash their hands at all, and although this is a low amount, it still translates to over 350 people who don’t wash their hands in that area. If this is a true representation of the population then 10 percent of all the people you encounter are touching you or shaking your hand with filthy, unwashed hands. EWWWW. Also, the 95 percent that are not washing their hands for 20 seconds or more are not paying attention to their washing techniques and are not effectively killing off germs which can spread diseases.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC:

Failing to wash or insufficiently washing hands contributes to almost 50% of all food-borne illness outbreaks

But it isn’t completely the fault of the observed, the study also found that the cleanliness of a place contributes to the likely hood of washing ones hands. This definitely makes sense because if I see a sink or faucet with weird brown stains or boogers all over it then I will usually seek out alternative ways to clean my hands. And no, rubbing your hands together to create heat to theoretically kill the bacteria does not help.

Fun fact, the CDC also says that you should wash your hands:

After using the toilet

After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

After touching an animal or animal waste

After touching garbage

But why all this emphasis on washing your hands after these daily activities? Why does it really matter?

Well, give it a good mulling over: You use your hands to feel and grab and touch everything throughout the day. You are strolling down to the nearest park and you run your finger across the rail on the sidewalk. You get on a train and you grab the overhead bar to keep stability during your ride. You grab a taxi and you hold the door that thousands have held before you. The restroom others have been in, the chair others have sat in, the weights others have grabbed. Not to mention the object you just grabbed or touched has a chance of containing fecal matter from another person. A study conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that out of the 404 commuters they observed, 28% had bacteria on their hands originating from fecal matter. Gross, I know.

The worst part about all this is that we use our hands to touch our face at least a hundred times a day. My are we conceded. The point is not to become a germaphobe, but to stay aware of the way sickness and disease is spread, and how it all starts with your hands. Damnit man, just wash your hands!

The best way to wash your hands is to wet your hands, rub them together for at least 20 seconds, and then rinse and dry your hands. Make sure to give it that 20 precious seconds, 10 or less just doesn’t cut it. Tedious, I know. But hey! If all else fails here is an awesome way to help you wash your hands. Think of all the doctor visits you can avoid and all the fun singalong time you can experience!

Now if only we could find an easy way to keep our bellybuttons clean. Cheers!

Sources:

Today Health: Dirty America

MSU: Handwashing Practices

Dirty Hands: Bacteria of Faecal Origin

Youtube: Wash Your Hands Song

CDC Handwashing

Wondergressive: The Secret World of Bacteria

Wondergressive: Stay Away From Antibacterial Soap

Wondergressive: Obamacare

Wondergressive: Belly Button Bacteria

To be Fat or Not to be Fat?

January 23, 2013 / esfein / 1 Comment

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/

America is fat, but it may also be healthy. A recent study on over weight individuals has sparked a lot of criticism. Katherine Flegal, a senior research scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says:

We published an article in 2005 that showed, among other things, that (being) overweight was associated with lower mortality.

Since then, Flegal and her associates have been working on a study that involves reviews of over 100 previous studies linking weight and mortality. The study claims that those who are overweight but not obese might be able to live through medical crisis’ better than those who are thin. The idea is that you lose weight when you are facing something serious, be it stress or a medical problem, and that those with more fat on them can shed 20lbs without much impact on their body. However, if you are thin and you lose 20lbs you end up straining your body and energy which can worsen your health, ultimately causing a pre-mature death.

It might also have to do with the mentality of individuals. A healthy thin individual may not be as inclined to see the doctor as often as an overweight individual might. Let us say for instance that both a thin and an overweight individual has a dormant tumor. The overweight individual may detect it sooner due to more frequent checkups than the thin individual simply because of the “I’m healthy I don’t need to get a checkup” mentality. Not to mention the stubbornness of not seeing a doctor for routine checkups because it costs too much. I think it all boils down to living healthier lives and paying attention to your body! Experts say that ultimately it comes down to how you feel, if you are overweight but fit and you feel good then you are healthy!

The obese make us fat Americans average, does that mean that the average sized people will live longer lives? What do you think? Maybe its time to stop hitting the gym and time to start eating more pies! Chocolate pies, raspberry pies, banana cream pies, mint pies, key lime pies….. mmmmm so many PIES!

Sources:

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/02/health/overweight-mortality/index.html

http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/mindfulness.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm

Teens Give Head at Unprecedented Rates

September 26, 2012 / esfein / 1 Comment

The CDC has announced that two thirds of teens have had oral sex, the same number as those that have had sexual intercourse. This reflects a complete change in the hierarchy of sexual intercourse compared to previous generations.

Oral sex was thought to be used to defer vaginal sex, but that is far from the truth. Kids are regularly engaging in oral sex just as much as they practice vaginal sex.

Even more interestingly, the previous gender gap of ‘give and take’ in regards to oral sex has virtually disappeared. The researchers found that ” girls and boys gave and received oral sex equally and that sexual activity began at roughly the same age, with 44% of 15- to 17-year-old boys and 39% of girls of that age engaging in some kind of sexual activity with an opposite-sex partner.”

Although it is nearly impossible to contract aids orally, and impossible to become pregnant, there is still the risk of disease. This has lead experts to believe there is more need than ever to make oral sex part of regular sex education. Or, in my opinion, actually teach kids about sex during regular sex education.

What is the point of delaying the inevitable and potentially putting our children at risk just because we are afraid they might lose the innocence we ascribe to them? I have news for you; your child was born a human, there is nothing non-sexual or innocent about them.

Do your child a favor, take responsibility and educate them fully about the world you brought them into.

Teens Give Head at Unprecedented Rates: Oral Sex On the Rise

September 26, 2012 / esfein / 2 Comments

Oral sex was thought to be used to defer vaginal sex, but that is far from the truth. Kids are regularly engaging in oral sex just as much as they practice vaginal sex.

Even more interestingly, the previous gender gap of ‘give and take’ in regards to oral sex has virtually disappeared. The researchers found that

girls and boys gave and received oral sex equally and that sexual activity began at roughly the same age, with 44% of 15- to 17-year-old boys and 39% of girls of that age engaging in some kind of sexual activity with an opposite-sex partner.”

Although it is nearly impossible to contract AIDS orally, and impossible to become pregnant, there is still the risk of disease. This has lead experts to believe there is more need than ever to make oral sex part of regular sex education. Or, in my opinion, actually teach kids about sex during regular sex education.

Do your child a favor, take responsibility and educate them fully about the world you brought them into.

Sources:

USA Today: Teen Oral Sex Rates Reflect a “Hierarchical Reordering”

CDC: Sexual Risk Behavior: HIV, STD, & Teen Pregnancy Prevention

CDC: National Health Statistics Report:

Prevalence and Timing of Oral Sex with
Opposite-sex Partners Among Females and Males
Aged 15–24 Years: United States, 2007–2010