An uphill battle against hospital infections

The CDC speculates that 1.7 million patients get hospital infections each year, and some suspect that it is actually several times that number. By screening patients for infections, however, hospitals can identify MRSA positive patients, isolate them, use separate equipment and insist on gowns and gloves when treating them, experts say. Despite this evidence, only 30% of hospitals in the U.S. are screening for MRSA.