CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), Dr Dexter James, has sounded a caution to doctors about excessive prescribing of antibiotics as the hospital seeks to reduce the risk of patient infections.
And he wants to see everyone passing through the QEH using the hand sanitising facilities installed throughout the hospital over two years ago in the Stop. Think. Go. Campaign, aimed at improving the environment of care and mitigating hospital-acquired infections.
Four years ago the QEH suffered a major outbreak of klebsiella bacteria that saw infected patients being isolated in wards specially designated to treat the infections. The outbreak was successfully brought under control.
Speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony for Infection Control Week in the QEH’s auditorium, James said: “There have been recent concerns around the use and/or abuse of antibiotics by physicians in the treatment of patients, which may have contributed to incubation and growth of hospital-acquired bacteria.”
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