Lisa Hyde-Barrett, thoracic nurse, reported recently that the makeup of a mesothelioma care team typically includes an oncologist, primary care physician, nurse, palliative care expert, social worker and a nutritionist. However, Steven Schmitt, MD, FIDSA, writes in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Safe Healthcare blog that patients should get “the type of care they deserve” by offering them treatment provided by physicians who are experts in infectious diseases.
In “The Value of an Infectious Disease Specialist,” Dr. Schmitt, who is an infectious diseases physician at Cleveland Clinic, notes that whether patients arrive at a hospital with an infection or contract a hospital-acquired infection, nearly one in 20 patients in the U.S. are affected. In addition, according to Dr. Schmitt, infection is among the top causes of death in the hospital.
Citing a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases , Dr. Schmitt found the results of patients treated by an ID specialist “striking.” According to the study, hospitalized patients with infections who see an ID specialist are “not only less likely to die in the hospital and after discharge, but stay for shorter periods and are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital.” Further benefits were realized when the patient is seen within two days of admission to the hospital.
“We are the detectives of the medical world and have additional years of training and experience to quickly identify and treat life-threatening infections,” said Dr. Schmitt. Many infections are resistant to standard antibiotic care, however, ID specialists have the knowledge and training to identify the best way to combat infections.
Pleural mesothelioma patients are susceptible to developing lung infections, which can quickly lead to life-threatening complications. Infections can induce heavy coughing, restrict the ability to breathe and are typically accompanied by a high fever. Not only is the infection dangerous, but it can also halt chemotherapy treatments needed to continue to fight the cancer. According to MedScape, death from malignant mesothelioma is “usually due to infection or respiratory failure from the progression of the disease.”
“The impact of ID physicians is more critical than ever to ensure high quality patient care,” says Dr. Schmitt. “Let us help your patients and control healthcare costs by putting our expertise to work for you.”
More articles by Nancy Meredith
Nancy Meredith is a blog and web content writer with more than 20 years of professional experience in the Information Technology industry. She has been writing about Mesothelioma for 4 years. Follow Nancy on Google+
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