Skip to main content

View more from News & Articles or Primerus Weekly

On behalf of McKeen & Associates, PC posted in Nursing Home Malpractice on Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a deadly form of bacteria that infects approximately 90,000 Americans each year, killing about 20,000 of them. Hospitals and nursing homes commonly harbor MRSA, exposing countless people to the deadly "superbug." Unfortunately, we're currently at the seasonal peak of MRSA infections affecting those age 65 and older.

February and March are the most deadly time of the year for MRSA infections of seniors, according to a study by Johns Hopkins Center for Advanced Modeling in the Social, Behavioral and Health Sciences. Researchers examined 5 years of data and concluded that this time of year leads to the most MRSA infections in hospitals and nursing homes.

Hospitals and nursing homes should be taking added infection prevention measures this time of year. MRSA cannot be treated with antibiotics, causing the fatality rate of those infected to exceed 20 percent. Prevention, through clean facilities and infection control measures, are the best ways to keep senior citizens safe.

Sadly, some nursing homes and hospitals take shortcuts in MRSA prevention. This is inexcusable, as this deadly bacterium can quickly kill dozens or hundreds of patients.

If you've lost a loved one to a MRSA outbreak associated with a hospital, nursing home or daycare facility, contact an experienced Michigan nursing home malpractice attorney to discuss your options.

McKeen & Associates, PC, is a Michigan-based law firm that represents nursing home malpractice victims. The firm focuses heavily on litigating medical malpractice and wrongful death cases.

Source: McKnight's, "Nursing Home Residents At Greatest Risk Of MRSA In February And March, Study Finds," Tim Mullaney, March 5, 2013

For more information about Detroit, Michigan law firm, McKeen & Associates, PC, please visit www.mckeenassociates.com or the International Society of Primerus Law Firms.