Thanks to technology
It’s a shame that patients across the country are suffering from MRSA outbreaks at our major hospitals, including Harborview Medical Center [“The MRSA mess: a culture of resistance,” News, Nov. 20].
Thanks to The Seattle Times for shedding light on how a common, familiar infection can spiral out of control.
Hospital cleanliness and transparency about infection rates should be a given but it’s not enough.
As many states have mandated, screening incoming patients for MRSA should be every hospital’s obligation. The bad news is screenings can be costly for hospitals and it can take up to two days to get the results, which is often too late.
The good news is technology for MRSA screening and surveillance is getting better every day as life-science companies, including my own, find ways to simplify the technology and lower the costs via molecular solutions.
Imagine the incredible preventive benefit of giving health-care providers an easy-to-use, inexpensive tool that gives patients point-of-care test results in less than an hour. With improved molecular solutions technology, we can help our hospitals keep patients safe.
–Ryan Ashton, Salt Lake City