How to Avoid CRE Outbreaks

Rise in Infection Rates is Topic for IDAC Presentation May 2 in Costa Mesa

LOS ANGELES – (April 20, 2015) – At the Infectious Disease Association of California (IDAC) symposium in Costa Mesa on May 2, James McKinnell, MD, a Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute (LA BioMed) infectious disease specialist, is scheduled to discuss how physicians can protect their patients against Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), a family of bacteria that are difficult to treat because they have high levels of resistance to antibiotics.

Dr. McKinnell will present data on the number of CRE infections and estimates for the number of deaths currently attributed to CRE. He will also address the challenges for the healthcare system in addressing CRE, and the relatively short window for responding to the influx of CRE to Southern California.

“These are the bacteria that keep healthcare professionals up at night,” said Dr. McKinnell. “We already have very serious outbreaks in New York and other parts of the United States, and we don’t want to see CRE gain a foothold in California. We need a coordinated response to guard against the emergence of the deadly bacteria in healthcare settings.”

Dr. McKinnell is scheduled to deliver his presentation, entitled “The Rise of Carbapenem-Resistance in California and How We Can Protect Our Patients,” at 1:20 p.m. May 2 at the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel, 686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.

“All of us who deliver care in hospital and other healthcare facilities should be aware of the threat and ensure we are taking appropriate measures to protect against CRE outbreaks,” Dr. McKinnell said.