title: Health care-associated infections: major issues in the early years of the 21st century.
abstract: Health care-associated bloodstream infections are associated with an attributable mortality that makes them equivalent to the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance and the problems associated with biofilms surrounding prostheses and vascular catheters pose special challenges. These issues and potential solutions are addressed in the present article.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA. rwenzel@mcvh-vcu.edu
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Wenzel
mesh_terms: D017714:Community-Acquired Infections; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000401:mortality*; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D018805:Sepsis / Q000401:mortality*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology