By Gina Bailey, BSN, RN
Infection Preventionist, Quality/Infection Control, Blanchard Valley Health System
A multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) is a living organism, bacteria, or fungi that has evolved and mutated to protect itself from medications that were once used to treat the infection they cause. MDROs can affect any person but are especially concerning for individuals in hospitals, long-term care facilities, group living facilities, those who are immunosuppressed or those who have chronic conditions.
Healthcare providers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are concerned about the spread of drug-resistant organisms. They estimate more than 2.8 million resistant infections occur in the U.S. According to a collaborative study with the CDC, the estimated cost to treat infections caused by only six MDROs is more than $4.6 billion annually.
