Tens of thousands of patients die each year as a result of a new epidemic — life-threatening infections that are contaminating American hospitals.

Deaths linked to hospital infections now represent the fourth leading cause of death among Americans, behind heart disease, cancer and strokes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these infections kill more people than car accidents, fire and drownings, combined.

A recent investigation by the Chicago Tribunefound that nearly 75,000 of the deadly infections were preventable, as they were the result of unsanitary facilities, germ-laden instruments, unwashed hands, etc.

The CDC noted if hospitals adhered to simple, inexpensive measures — such as clean-hand policies — some 20,000 patient deaths could be prevented annually.

Tribunereporters analyzed the records of 75 state and federal agencies, internal hospital files, patient databases and court cases across the country — finding 103,000 deaths linked to hospital infections in 2000.

Additional findings of the investigation included:

• 2,610 infant deaths were linked to preventable infections acquired in U.S. hospitals.
• 500 children died as a result of germs spread by nurses who moved from patient to patient.
• 200 newborns die each year from a shortage of catheters; The cost per catheter is only $5 for hospitals.
• 4,712 people became ill from hospital-borne germs without even entering a medical facility.
• 3,510 infectious disease cases were not reported in Illinois, as required by federal law. 332 resulted in death.

SOURCE: Chicago Tribune, July 22, 2002.