Hospitals losing the war on "Superbugs": Your wallet loses, too.

Hospitals are losing the war on bacteria and it is costing you money. The Health Protection Agency (HPA), which monitors infections, is particularly worried about a group of bacteria known as "gram-negative," which are extremely common and include Escherichia coli. This bug is the most common cause of urinary tract infections, causing about 70-80% of all cystitis cases, and can also cause pneumonia and other infections. According to recent estimates, it is resistant to all antibiotics in about 12% of cases.

This new "superbug" is in addition to the cases of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) that has increased 62% in general hospitalized patients in recent years. A study by a University of Florida researcher found that MRSA has more than doubled between 1999 and 2005, soaring from 127,000 to nearly 280,000 cases. The study concluded that MRSA and staph infections are now "endemic, and in some cases epidemic" in many U.S. Hospitals, long-term care facilities and communities.

Hospital-acquired infections from all causes result in an estimated 90,000 deaths per year and are the sixth-leading cause of death nationally. They also increase patient suffering and the length of time patients spend in the hospital -- in addition to direct health care costs, estimated to be more than $6 billion annually.