Outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria infection at Rambam hospital

The management of the Rambam Medical Center has ordered urgent measures to prevent the spread of bacteria resistant to most antibiotics beyond the three hospital departments where they were discovered.

These are bacteria of the Acinetobacter and Klebsiella types, as well as the fungal infection Candida auris. These infections are not dangerous for healthy people, but in patients with a weakened immune system they can cause serious complications that can even lead to death.

In conditions of constant overload of emergency departments and internal hospital departments, the fight against this type of hospital-acquired infections is a very difficult task.

At the suggestion of Rambam Hospital Director Professor Mickey Helberthal, medical personnel in the departments where the infection was detected will work in full protection, and these departments will not accept new patients until the outbreak is over.

It was also ordered that the families of patients who visited the contaminated wards be informed of the incident and given instructions on hygiene.