Experts to discuss on healthcare-associated infection at SHEA Annual Meeting

WHAT: A special media phone briefing with leading infectious disease scientists and healthcare-associated infection experts who will headline the 2011 Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America's (SHEA) Annual Meeting

WHO: Arjun Srinivasan, MD, Associate Director of Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention Programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Steven Gordon, MD, President, Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America Makoto Jones, MD, Salt Lake City VA Healthcare System Dawn Terashita, MD, MPH, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Emily Sydnor, MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

WHEN:Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 1 p.m. ET

Selected studies include:

• Findings from a large, multi-year study of antibiotic use in Veterans Health Administration's acute care facilities shows use of "drugs of last resort" is on the rise. The dramatic increase in use of broad spectrum antibiotics, including carbapenems, is alarming because overuse of these drugs could weaken their efficacy, threatening their effectiveness against these and other emerging infections. (Embargoed for Sunday, April 3 at 7 am CT).

• Researchers with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have found high rates of the multi-drug resistant pathogen, carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (CRKP), previously not considered prevalent on the West Coast. CRKP is a major public health concern that can be associated with higher mortality, longer hospital stays and increased health care costs. (Embargoed for Sunday, April 3 at 7 am CT).

• A study from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has determined that electronic faucets are more likely to become contaminated with unacceptably high levels of bacteria compared with traditional manually operated faucets. (Embargoed for Thursday, March 31 at 7 am CT).