26 Prevention & Control of Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms

  • Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are continuing to develop and spread in healthcare settings throughout the United States, including Salt Lake County. Multi-drug resistant organisms are defined as organisms that have developed resistance to one or more antimicrobial treatments. MDROs are often, but not always, bacteria. MDROs are often based on resistance to a single antimicrobial, however, they may be resistant to multiple.
  • MDROs can spread within healthcare facilities and plans to address them should coordinate between facilities. Preventing the spread of treatment-resistant organisms is crucial to avoid the untreatable infections.
  • Deaths reported for MDROs reflect the number of individuals with the condition (or disease) at the time of death. However, it is unknown if the condition was the direct cause of death.