In the next five years, drug resistant superbugs could make a rampant surge in the U.S. if changes aren't made by healthcare professionals and the general public.
Superbugs are bacterial infections that are resistant to conventional medical treatments, most commonly antibiotics.
Superbugs are are on the rise and are projected to increase by about 10 percent in the next five years according to a study done by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
To stop the rise of these superbugs, healthcare leaders urge hospitals to be more coordinated in their treatments.
"Independent, institution-based efforts to prevent transmission have been inadequate," said researchers from the CDC journal.
Hospitals that work in conjunction with other facilities when treating a patient infected with a drug resistant strain can be up to 81 percent more effective at preventing the infection from spreading to new patients.
The prescribed use of antibiotics is also a concern.
Although all bacteria are slowly becoming immune to antibiotics around the world, being more judicious about when we use these treatments can also be effective in elongating antibiotic's effectiveness on the human populace.
Patients can do their part washing their hands, asking healthcare providers to do the same and by informing doctor about previous infections that required hospitalization.
These combined efforts could prevent more than half a million new infections, according to CBS news.
