In Hospitals, Pneumonia Is A Lethal Enemy - Lucette Lagnado
At a time when the public is concerned with drug-resistant superbugs, researchers have identified another danger of going to the hospital: contracting pneumonia. Hospital-acquired pneumonia is more pervasive and urgent than most people realize. To battle germs and superbugs, hospitals are cleaning rooms and equipment thoroughly, controlling the use of antibiotics and dispensing hand sanitizer to patients, visitors and staff. Brian Koll, MD, professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and executive medical director of infection prevention and control for the Mount Sinai Health System said oral-care initiatives make perfect sense, just like efforts to get patients to wash their hands. "You want to reduce the amount of bacteria in your mouth," added Dr. Koll. Still, he believes more data are needed to come up with "evidence-based guidelines."
- Brian Koll, MD, Professor, Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Executive Medical Director, Infection Prevention and Control, Mount Sinai Health System
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