AHRQ Publishes New Infection Control Toolkit on KPC

AHRQ has published a toolkit to help hospitals control and preventKlebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), a highly dangerous, antibiotic-resistant germ. KPC is sometimes referred to as a “superbug” because it is hard to kill and resists most antibiotics. KPC is a type of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, or CRE, a family of germs that are difficult to treat because they have high levels of resistance to antibiotics. AHRQ funded leading KPC researchers to develop the toolkit, which hospitals can use to control and prevent KPC outbreaks in their facilities. AHRQ’s toolkit, “Carbapenem-ResistantEnterobacteriaceae (CRE) Control and Prevention Toolkit,” helps organizations implement guidelines from the HHS' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which define what health care organizations should do to prevent KPC.