MRSA, Staph, Staff, Mersa, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Symptoms & Treatment

NY State Department of Health Funds Projects to Reduce HAIs

Link: NY State Department of Health Funds Projects to Reduce HAIs.

Seven non-profit health organizations will share in more than $1.2 million in funding for demonstration projects that focus on the prevention of infections acquired in hospitals, the New York State Department of Health announced. "Hospital-acquired infections are a major public health problem in the United States, affecting 5 to 10 percent of hospitalized patients nationally each year," said state health commissioner Richard F. Daines, MD. "More than 1.7 million infections are estimated to be contracted in U.S. hospitals each year, responsible for 99,000 reported deaths." "We are committed to the prevention and reduction of infections acquired in hospitals across the state," said Daines. "Each of these projects involves multiple healthcare facilities collaborating to increase patient safety, and ultimately to the reduction of morbidity and mortality associated with these infections. This investment will drive prevention, control and educational approaches that can be replicated statewide, targeting some of the most dangerous hospital-acquired infections, including drug-resistant infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile, bloodstream infections and ventilator-associated pneumonias." The projects should generate additional knowledge and experience with prevention and control strategies to reduce and eliminate hospital-acquired infections. The demonstration projects will identify potential quality-of-care improvement strategies, systematically implement them, and measure their effectiveness in reducing targeted infections.

Bathrooms at hospitals an MRSA source

Link: Lighting The Way To Cleaner Facilities Using UV Lotion.

A team of Canadian scientists using a lotion which glows under ultraviolet light have shown that up to a third of patient toilets are not properly cleaned. Their findings, published in BioMed Central's journal, BMC Infectious Diseases, also show that spores from the nasty bacteria Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) linger in the loo even when it has been thoroughly wiped down. Michelle Alfa and a team of scientists from Manitoba, Canada investigated the spread of so-called superbugs in hospitals. Hospital patients are thought to catch bugs like vancomycin resistant Enterococci (VRE), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and C. difficile because they are not eradicated from the hospital environment. These bugs may be transferred between patients through cross-contamination in the bathroom.

Hospital sell off = less beds = more MRSA

Link: Finger on the Pulse - Telegraph.

The sale of NHS property would entail a process known as "sale and leaseback", whereby sites are sold to developers, then leased back by the NHS. The Government likes it because of the large cash-windfall it receives, but ignores the fact that it ties NHS trusts into long, expensive contracts which cause costs to rise in the long term. The trusts also have limited bargaining power in this situation because it's not as if they can simply decamp and rent a vacant hospital round the corner. Selling off hospitals and NHS property will have repercussions for generations to come. It's a painfully short-sighted solution which will have lasting detrimental effects on the health of our nation. Take MRSA, for example. At present there is a vogue among ministers and NHS officials to reduce the total number of beds in hospitals, preferring to focus on higher bed-occupancy rates and speedy discharges to make the hospital more "efficient". This is even more common in hospitals already run by private companies under the Private Finance Initiative, where there are around 30 per cent fewer beds than in other hospitals. But research - funded by the Government, in fact - now suggests that bed occupancy rate is the single biggest factor in the rise of MRSA and hospital-acquired infections. When bed occupancy is higher than 90 per cent, infection rates are 40 per cent higher than when 85 per cent of beds are occupied. Many hospitals are already running at near 100 per cent. This is only one example of how important it is that we retain ownership and control of NHS resources so we can respond when evidence like this comes to light, and we can reverse decisions and policy when necessary.

Hospitals to have single rooms to beat superbugs

Link: Hospitals to have single rooms to beat superbugs | News.

Health bosses are designing new London hospitals to try to reduce the risk of life-threatening infections. Old-style multi-bed wards are to be scrapped and replaced with private rooms in response to huge pressure on trusts to combat the spread of potentially fatal superbugs such as clostridium difficile and MRSA. North Middlesex University hospital is one of the first in the capital to be revamped. About a third of its patients will be treated in single occupancy rooms when its £118 million redevelopment in Edmonton is completed in 2010. The rest will be placed in four-bed units which can be sectioned off in the event of an infection outbreak. North Middlesex is one of a tranche of new hospitals across the country to be approved under the Government's private finance initiative. Others include Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust in Chelmsford. They have all been issued with special guidance on how to make services superbug-free. Official figures reveal that infection rates have dropped in London - cases of MRSA have fallen by a third.

Infection Control Not a Priority for Many Healthcare Facilities

Link: APIC Issues Statement on Congressional Hearing Examining HAIs.

Kathy Warye, CEO of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), issued the following statement regarding an April 16 hearing on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Oversight and Reform: “APIC wishes to commend Rep. Henry Waxman for convening today's hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Oversight and Reform which addressed the subject of HAIs. Stories like Mr. Lawton's are unfortunate evidence that infection prevention and control has yet to become a top priority in many of our nation's healthcare institutions. While leading institutions are proving that healthcare-associated infections, once thought to be unavoidable, can be prevented, many have not yet adopted evidence-based interventions proven to reduce infections. As our arsenal of antibiotics and other control measures declines, it is imperative that all of our nation's healthcare professionals, from the executive suite to the front line, embrace the concept of prevention. Infection prevention and control professionals work daily to educate healthcare workers and lead performance improvement initiatives that will save both lives and scarce healthcare resources. But they cannot do it alone. Success requires strong commitment on the part of administrative and clinical leadership, effective integration of infection control measures across the institution and adequately resourced and staffed infection prevention and control departments.”

Healthcare Watchdog Launches Biggest Ever Inspection Programme In Acute NHS Trusts To Check Infection Control, UK

Link: Healthcare Watchdog Launches Biggest Ever Inspection Programme In Acute NHS Trusts To Check Infection Control, UK.

The Healthcare Commission launches the biggest inspection programme ever carried out in NHS acute trusts to check whether they are meeting standards on infection control. It will inspect all 172 acute trusts annually as part of a drive to: reduce death and illness from healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs); improve the experience of patients in hospital; and increase public confidence in the NHS. The programme was established at the request of the Secretary of State for Health. The Commission this week wrote to all acute trusts, calling on them to ensure that they have the necessary systems in place to minimise the risk to patients of catching a HCAI such as MRSA or Clostridium difficile. In particular, trusts should check they are meeting the 11 mandatory duties outlined in the government's hygiene code, which came into force as part of the Health Act 2006.

Patients vulnerable to MRSA while waiting in A & E for admission

Link: HighWire Press -- Medline Abstract.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the Boarders in the Emergency Department (BED) study the impact of overcrowding due to boarders on patients' mortality and the likelihood of being diagnosed with methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) during admission was examined. With regard to efficiency, the impact of overcrowding on the time to first medical assessment for admitted patients, the number of patients leaving without being seen, and the rate of admission as a percentage of total emergency department attendances was explored. METHODS: The retrospective cohort analysis study of all emergency department admissions was performed using information accessed via the Diver Solution. The software integrated information from several databases. RESULTS: The average number of patients awaiting hospital admission in the emergency department at 09:00 was 20.4 (range 0-45). The average duration of stay in the emergency department following the decision to admit was 16.1 h (range 0-161 h). The number who did not wait (DNW) to be seen was strongly correlated with the time waiting for medical assessment, which in turn was correlated with the total number of attendances to the emergency department (p<0.001). The elderly waited longer for admission and had the highest mortality and the highest chance of being diagnosed with MRSA during their overall admission. CONCLUSION: It is wrong for patients who are sick enough to require admission to hospital to be kept in the emergency department, and the entire health system must respond to their plight.

Staff survey slams hospital hygiene

Link: The Comet - Staff survey slams hospital hygiene.

THE availability of hand washing materials in hospitals and health centres across Comet country are lacking, according to healthcare workers. Yesterday (Wednesday) independent watchdog the Healthcare Commission published the results of an annual staff survey. The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which runs Lister Hospital, came in the bottom 20 per cent of acute Trusts in England for the availability of hand washing materials for staff, patients and visitors. The report said its score of 4.32 out of five, with five representing full availability, showed a "significant decrease" since the 2006 survey, when the Trust's score was 4.47. Chief executive of the Trust, Nick Carver, said: "We were disappointed about how our staff felt." He said major investment in new hand washing facilities in wards were made last year and infection rates from bacteria like MRSA and clostridium difficile were rapidly declining. A spokesman for the East and North Hertfordshire PCT said: "Whilst we achieved good scores in a number of categories, our results show we have areas in need of improvement.

APIC Issues Recommendations On How To Have A Healthy Hospital Stay

Link: APIC Issues Recommendations On How To Have A Healthy Hospital Stay.

To commemorate Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 2-8), the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is issuing five steps every patient can take to become their own advocate and reduce the risk of developing an infection during a hospital stay. Visit http://www.apic.org during Patient Safety Awareness Week to learn more. 1) First Step, Hospital Prep Most people invest more time into selecting a movie at the video store than they spend on their healthcare options. Research the hospital's infection control practices, such as their hand hygiene policy. Discuss strategies for infection prevention with your healthcare team prior to surgery. Follow your doctor's instructions to wash with chlorhexidine soap before entering the hospital for surgery or other invasive procedures to remove bacteria from your skin.

More at link above

New Safety Measures Help Prevent MRSA

Link: New Safety Measures Help Prevent MRSA - News Story - WJAC Johnstown.

At Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown, the staff prepares a patient for the operating room in a much different way than in years past. The changes are a result of the staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, which has been making headlines as is spreads throughout the Alleghenies in nursing homes, schools and businesses. Anyone is susceptible to the drug-resistant infection, which is why hospitals across the state are stepping up safety measures. Disease experts said MRSA is the most common staph infection in the country and is responsible for 60 percent of all staph infections reported. About 20 to 30 percent of the population has MRSA in their system and, odds are, they don't even know it. Because of those startling statistics, lawmakers in Harrisburg decided it was time to act -- and that means changes for hospital stays. The increased safety procedures are part of Act 52, which is a mandate from Harrisburg to better report the cases of staph infections and help prevent them. "Harrisburg has said high-risk patients have to be screened. It's up to us to determine who the high-risk patients are and what do we do about it," said Dr. Louis Schenfeld, an infectious disease expert. For starters, operating room patients now use a special scrub called CHG when they shower before surgery.