The Perfect Storm: Emerging Trends and Pathogens in Healthcare

Affected Populations Prior to the identification of the Acquired Immune Deficiency (AIDS) virus, persons with chronic immune deficiencies were anomalies—“bubble children” who were occasionally brought to the public's attention through the media. With the advent of HIV/AIDS, healthcare facilities faced the daunting task of caring for many individuals with immune deficiency on a long-term basis. Just as many infectious diseases seemed to have been conquered through vaccine or antibiotics, healthcare was called upon to manage a new infectious disease with no treatment and also to protect those individuals from other potential infections including pathogens that did not cause disease in persons with healthy immune systems. HIV/AIDS required healthcare facilities not only to protect their patients but their workers from a high fatality disease that was…

ABBREVIATIONS: AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, CA-MRSA – Community-Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CRE - carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, CMV – Cytomegalovirus, FDA - Food and Drug Administration, HA-MRSA – Healthcare-Associated Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, HAI – Healthcare-Associated Infections, HCW – Healthcare Worker, HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus, KPC-Kp – Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase Producing, MERS – Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, MDRO – Multiple Drug Resistant Organisms, MRSA – Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, NICU – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, NHSN – National Health Safety Network, PPE – Personal Protective Equipment, RSV – Respiratory Syncitial Virus, VRE - Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci