Do No Harm: Part Two

A hidden epidemic

Las Vegas hospital officials say they are doing enough to protect patients from becoming infected with deadly bacteria. But hospitals are failing.

Profile

Hospital stay will stay with her always

Julie Rich lives tethered to an oxygen machine, the low hum and hiss constant companions, the vinyl tubing always underfoot. It is a reminder of the aggressive bacterial infection she ...

Hospital’s sanitation promises quickly forgotten

In July 2008, MountainView Hospital executives learned their infection control practices were so bad the federal government was ready to send its Medicare patients - the bulk of the hospital’s ...

About the report

Billing codes key to data analyzed on infections

The Las Vegas Sun’s reporting on lethal bacteria in hospitals is based on analysis of Nevada hospital data collected by the state from 1999 to 2009.

Where I Stand

Rise in infection rates, hospitals’ reticence are troublesome

I have washed my hands more in hospitals during the past couple of years than I had ever done before.

Sun Editorial

A spreading danger

Today’s stories by Sun reporters Marshall Allen and Alex Richards about patients who have become infected by lethal, drug-resistant bacteria during stays in Las Vegas Valley hospitals should serve as ...

‘We’re the ones who are in there. Our lives are entrusted to them.’

State Sen. Shirley Breeden understands the patient suffering caused by hospital-acquired infections. While she was in Carson City last year championing a bill to require stricter reporting of such cases, ...

Health board backs limits on disclosure of infections

The divide over whether the public should know the specific hospitals where patients are contracting lethal “superbugs” was clear at Friday’s meeting of the state Board of Health. There were ...

Panel discusses how best to stem the spread of infection

A Sun investigation found that lethal “superbugs” are infecting thousands of patients in local hospitals. The analysis of hospital billing records identified 2,010 cases in 2008 and 2009 in which ...

St. Rose breaks ranks with disclosure on quality of care

The St. Rose Dominican Hospitals are winning plaudits for being the first hospitals in Nevada to provide to patients previously internal information about quality of care — including details about ...

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Interactive Features

Documents

See the source material behind the stories: legal filings, academic research, minutes from legislative hearings and internal e-mails.

See the results

Explore the data with interactive maps and charts.

Videos

  • Julie Rich

    Julie Rich was infected with MRSA when she went to the hospital for a simple surgical procedure. Several things stand out about her care: a dirty hospital room and inattentive care from her doctor.

  • Christina Schofield

    Christina Schofield said she's seen problems with infection control in every hospital in Las Vegas.

  • Carole LaRocca

    Carole LaRocca is still paying the bills for a MRSA infection she caught at a local hospital.

  • Sunday Discussion: Hospital Infections

    After a Sun investigation found lethal "superbugs" are infecting thousands of patients in local hospitals, four people with distinct perspectives on these hospital-acquired infections gathered to discuss the dangers posed by the bacteria and obstacles to fighting their spread.

  • Marcia Friedman

    Marcia Friedman's mother, Eleanor Friedman, was recovering from a blood clot in her arm in the hospital when she was infected with MRSA. She didn't have a chance.

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