Over the past decade, doctors around the world have seen an increasing number of bacteria that are resistant to traditional antibiotics. One of these bacteria, Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae or CRE, is highly resistant to most antibiotics and can be transmitted to others.

According to the CDC, hundreds of hospitals in 47 states, including Colorado, have now seen CRE.

Most CRE infections are seen in people who are already ill or who have compromised immune systems, and in those people the infection can be very serious and even cause death.

At UCHealth, patient safety and quality come first at all of our hospitals and clinics, and our experts are constantly working to identify and stop infectious diseases. We meticulously clean our facilities and all equipment according to CDC guidelines to ensure the safest possible care.

Infectious diseases experts encourage all health care and long-term care facilities to be on the lookout for CRE, and specialists at all UCHealth hospitals closely watch for this and all infectious diseases to ensure the safety of our patients.

Infectious organisms like CRE, MRSA and the common flu can be minimized by following standard, infection-prevention procedures:

• Washing hands and using hand-sanitizing gel
• Avoiding others and wearing a mask if you are sick
• Taking antibiotics only as prescribed by your doctor
• Taking the full course of antibiotics – don’t stop early unless your doctor tells you to!
• Telling your health care provider if you’ve traveled to another country or been hospitalized recently
• Thoroughly cleaning equipment, patient rooms and other surfaces that might be touched

More information on CRE (Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae) from the CDC.