Identifying Superbugs in Healthcare Environments across Puerto Rico

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire during the course of receiving treatment for other conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that on any given day, about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection.
 
Today, far too often, these infections are due to a growing list of drug-resistant microbial pathogens. The CDC defines antibiotic/antimicrobial resistance as the ability of microbes to resist the effects of drugs – that is, the germs are not killed, and their growth is not stopped. The agency reports that although some people are at greater risk than others, no one can completely avoid the risk of antibiotic-resistant infections. Infections with resistant organisms are difficult to treat, requiring costly and sometimes toxic alternatives.
 
“Healthcare environments are particularly sensitive to the presence of drug-resistant pathogens because of the procedures they provide and because so many patients already have a weakened or suppressed immune system,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “The presence of drug-resistant bacteria, such as C. diff and MRSA, on surfaces within a healthcare facility can lead to serious and sometimes deadly infections.”   
 
In 2013, the CDC published a report outlining the top 18 drug-resistant threats in the United States. These threats were categorized that year based on the level of concern. They include microbial pathogens categorized as urgent, serious and concerning threats. Earlier this month, Zimmetry Environmental sponsored an educational video about these pathogens that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/vb_g3lGKrso  
 
Healthcare providers in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean can turn to the indoor environmental quality and microbial pathogen experts at Zimmetry Environmental to identify exposure risks in their facilities.  Zimmetry’s testing services are instrumental in identifying environmental pathogens, confirming surface cleaning and disinfection procedures, and pinpointing the source of an outbreak due to an environmental pathogen if one has already occurred.  
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their microbial pathogen, indoor air quality, environmental and compliance consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals, and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality (IAQ), asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs, and general environmental consulting services.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail