Hospital Infections Running Rampant

More than 11,600 patients contracted infections during hospital stays in Pennsylvania last year - and nearly 1,800 of them died, according to a new report by a state agency that tracks health care trends.

Hospital-acquired infections in Pennsylvania added $2 billion to hospital costs and extended hospital stays by 205,000 days last year, according to the report by the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.

"The deaths associated with those patients and the costs associated with those patients are astounding," said Marc P. Volavka, the council's executive director. "These numbers, even on their own, stand as a clarion cry to take action."

Bonnie - "superbug" infections in hosptials have exploded over the last decade. With virulent microbial, bacterial, and viral strains becoming more resistant to antibiotics, hosptials and their sick inhabitants are the perfect breeding ground for infection. If one has to enter a hospital for any type of procedure, you can protect yourself to a point with Probiotics. Probiotics are crucial for balancing positive and negative flora in the gut.