Hospital-Acquired Infections

The American Medical Association is using its political clout to get states to crack down on sanitary conditions at storefront health care clinics, like those launched by Wal-Mart, CVS and other large retailers. Whlie their real purpose is to eliminate competition, it's important that health departments responsible for maintaining standards keep a close watch over these facilities, which are popping up like mushrooms around the country.

That said, I'm wondering if the AMA has joined forces with Consumers Union in its war against the carnage caused by infections contracted in the nation's hospitals. Again, unsanitary conditions are largely to blame. This latest survey from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. found that 46 out of 1,000 hospital patients or nearly one in 20 who checked in came down with antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This parallels an earlier Centers for Disease Control study that estimated hospital-acquired infections kill 99,000 Americans every year -- twice the number killed in car wrecks.

Boogah. Boogah.