On average, almost three people die each day in Wisconsin from sepsis, a complication from infections. The infections often occur in hospitals and other health care settings. And new strains of bacteria are increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
The potential risks were shown last week when the state Department of Health Services announced that bacteria causing sepsis had been linked to 18 deaths and 44 cases of infection in southern Wisconsin since late December.
Reducing so-called health care-associated infections has become a priority in recent years for hospitals throughout Wisconsin and the country.
Hospitals have made impressive gains in preventing infections from central lines, catheters and surgery by putting in place strict guidelines and redesigning how they care for patients. Read the full Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here.
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