This is not a study that will contain surprises for Arizona medical malpractice attorneys. A study in Canada shows that patients who are in private ICU rooms, have a vastly reduced risk of contracting hospital infections than those who are put up in shared rooms.

The study conducted by researchers in Montréal analyzed more than 19,300 hospital admissions over a period of five years at the McGill University. They analyzed admissions at the ICUs before the general intensive care facility was transformed into private rooms, after renovations. They found that the infection rate for patients in the private rooms was 54% lower than before the renovation. According to the authors of the study, private intensive care rooms may enhance infection control practices, and reduce the risk of transmission of infections from patient to patient. The researchers in fact are recommending conversion of general intensive care facilities into private rooms, to reduce the risk of contracting hospital-acquired infections.

As mentioned, none of this is exactly rocket science. When patients are in isolation, the chances of contracting dangerous infections decrease substantially. In fact, other researchers have called for changes in the hospital design that allows for private rooms in intensive care. However, there are far too many health facilities that still haven't implemented this enhanced hospital design, with the result that patients are still crammed into general intensive care rooms with a higher risk of infections.

No one is suggesting that having private rooms is a one-step solution for soaring hospital infection rates. Besides, there will be space and other constraints that prevent hospitals from moving to a private room design. In such cases, hospitals can use other methods like using separate and private washrooms, targeted screening of patients and enhanced infection control methodologies and training to prevent infections.