MRSA, Mersa, Staph, Staff Infection, Treatment & Symptoms

Variation in Trust performance on MRSA and Clostridium difficile still evident with infections

MRSA Action UK: Variation in Trust performance on MRSA and Clostridium difficile still evident with infections - politics.co.uk.

he Health Protection Agency is now publishing data on a monthly basis, which is welcomed by MRSA Action UK. The quarterly report was published this week and the overall trend in reduction continues for both MRSA bacteraemias and Clostridium difficile infections. This gives an opportunity for up-to-date analysis and can help patients and GPs make informed choices on where to go for surgery. The data can also be used for benchmarking and management information by Primary Care and Acute Trusts. We have produced regional analyses showing breakdowns by hospital and primary care organisations from the Health Protection Agency data which can be found on the monthly statistics page of our website. The London region has seen a slight increase in MRSA bacteraemias this month and is at the same level as October last year; East of England has also seen a slight increase this month and has also increased on the same period last year. There were a total of 2,496 MRSA bacteraemias recorded over the 13 month period from October 2008 to October 2009. General Medicine, General Surgery, and Geriatric Medicine account for about 65 per cent of MRSA bacteraemias. Nephrology (renal medicine) accounts for the highest rate per 100,000 bed days followed by Clinical Haematology. The highest rates of Clostridium difficile infection are in Critical Care Medicine, Nephrology, Medical Oncology, and Clinical Haematology. Our own analysis of the data has shown that over a period of 13 months, from October 2008 to October 2009 of the 49,261 people who were recorded as having Clostridium difficile, 64 per cent were diagnosed outside of the Acute hospital setting. Whilst there is some debate over previous hospital treatments and the likelihood that a significant proportion may have originally had contact with the bacteria in the hospital environment, this should be regarded as a significant public health risk.

Hospital infection 'took months to recover from'

BBC News - Hospital infection 'took months to recover from'.

Martina Dennis took months to recover from a serious infection she developed days after giving birth at Basildon University Hospital in May. "After my caesarean section I caught an infection which led to necrotizsng fasciitis - the flesh-eating superbug, as they call it. When I was re-admitted into the maternity unit the general housekeeping standards were very questionable at the time. General things - I had to ask for my bed linen to be changed, I had to ask for the toilet attached to the room to be cleaned. There were various things going on. I was very ill so there were lots of things I probably missed as well. In relation to what was said in the report, I can confirm there was blood on the curtains and it wasn't mine.

Early MRSA discharges called for

BBC NEWS | Health | Early MRSA discharges called for.

Hospitals should be discharging MRSA patients early to help ease pressure on intensive care beds as the flu season starts, doctors say. The MRSA Working Group has written to UK hospitals outlining how to ensure enough critical care beds are available this winter. They say as MRSA patients get squeezed into fewer beds by flu patients the number of MRSA cases could rise by 40%.

Leeds doctors in MRSA warning over ward closure

Leeds doctors in superbug warning - Yorkshire Evening Post.

Hospital bosses have pledged that the same number of patients will be seen and dermatology beds would still be provided, but have not yet decided where these would be. However in-patients fear they could be placed on general wards and treated by staff not familiar with their conditions. Now three former LGI dermatologists have warned if that happens, it could lead to outbreaks of infections like MRSA. In a letter to politicians, retired consultant dermatologist Dr John Cotterill, retired professor of dermatology Prof Bill Cunliffe and emeritus professor of dermatology Prof Neville Rowell say they read about the plans to axe the ward with 'horror and disbelief'. "Even more alarming is the possibility that future patients will be treated in open medical or surgical wards," the letter reads. "One of us has had the experience of treating dermatological patients in an open ward at the LGI and in our opinion this is an efficient way of spreading infections such as MRSA to non-dermatological patients."

Shake-up bid to beat MRSA

Shake-up bid to beat MRSA : Express & Star.

drastic shake-up of wards at Dudley’s Russells Hall Hospital will be introduced in a last-ditch attempt to hit infection targets. Eleven wards at the hospital will be re-organised as part of a drive to reduce cases of contagious diseases such as MRSA. The hospital is failing to meet NHS targets for the deadly infection for the third year running. Changes will begin tomorrow, dividing patients into those who have been pre-screened for infections and those who are admitted to hospital in an emergency. Previously, patients who fall into both categories may have been treated on the same ward .

Tories to offer ward level MRSA figures

Tories offer a 'Pick your Doctor' health revolution using eBay-style rating system | Mail Online.

Patients will be able to choose their hospital consultant as part of a health revolution to be unveiled by the Tories today. Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley will pledge to give far more choice over how you are treated - and by whom. He will also promise to publish ward-level data on superbug rates and more details on the number of mixed- sex wards in hospitals, enabling patients to make an informed choice over where they are treated.

NHS staff 'confused' over MRSA

NHS bosses have raised concerns about a report which suggests staff are confused about what to do when superbugs are found, after latest figures show seven patients caught MRSA in four weeks.

A meeting of the NHS Northamptonshire board yesterday there were six patients in the county with community-acquired MRSA bacteraemia in the four weeks from June 23. Another case was announced at the meeting but no further details were given.

A report stated: "There also appears to be confusion in primary care regarding the correct decolonisation cycle and treatment required."

via www.northamptonchron.co.uk

Clean bill of health for hospital bosses (From Times Series)

Clean bill of health for hospital bosses (From Times Series).

Hygiene levels at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust have been praised by an independent health watchdog only 18 months after it was put on notice to improve. The trust was found to have been compliant with all four hygiene targets, or duties, assessed in the most recent round of inspections by the Healthcare Commission. The hospitals were judged on the quality of their management systems for: * infection prevention and control, * cleanliness, * isolation facilities and, * the administration of antibiotics. Trust chief executive Averil Dongworth said: “We are delighted to receive such a positive report from the Healthcare Commission. “This demonstrates the huge amount of progress we have made in the last 18 months.

MRSA Infections Continue To Fall, UK

MRSA Infections Continue To Fall, UK.

There were 725 MRSA bloodstream infections in England between July and September. This represents a 13% decrease on the previous quarter (April to June) when there were 837 cases and a 33% reduction in the corresponding quarter of 2007. This continued downward trend follows last quarter's achievement by the NHS of halving MRSA bloodstream infections across England. Health Minister Ann Keen said: "After achieving the target to halve MRSA bloodstream infections across England, I am delighted that the NHS has continued to raise its game by reducing infections even further. "Our strategy for tackling infection, including extra investment, tighter regulation and tough actions such as increasing the number of matrons to more than 5,000 and the bare below the elbows dress code to support hand hygiene are clearly having an impact. "But we will not stop there - one avoidable infection is one too many and we must go further. That is why we have set a target for the NHS to sustain this reduction in MRSA infections and deliver a 30% reduction in C. difficile in the next three years. We will also screen all relevant elective admissions for MRSA from April and are developing a national minimum standard for MRSA infection that all Trusts must meet."

York superbug cases decline

York superbug cases decline (From York Press).

CASES of a potentially fatal superbug have been slashed significantly at York Hospital following a sudden upsurge earlier this year. In July, The Press revealed that nine cases of MRSA had been reported at the Wigginton Road site between April and June – in comparison to only one case during the same period in 2007. Hospital bosses told The Press in July that patients were treated promptly in isolated bays and infection control practices had been tightened. Today, the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency have revealed the number of cases of MRSA fell to just two between July and September. With no further cases reported since then, York Hospital is now back on track to stay within the Government-set threshold of 16 cases between April 2008 and March 2009.

Birmingham hospitals praised for MRSA effort

Birmingham hospitals praised for MRSA effort - Birmingham Post.

Health watchdogs have praised the work of a Birmingham hospital trust in cutting the risk of superbugs from MRSA to clostridium difficile. The Healthcare Commission said it was impressed with Heart of England Foundation Trust after making unannounced inspections on its three hospitals, Heartlands, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield’s Good Hope. It is a boost for the trust, which has strived to improve infection control since being shamed in undercover exposes by the Birmingham Mail and BBC’s Panorama four years ago. Commission assessors had nothing put praise after visits on September 30 and October 1.

Hospital superbug cases on the rise in East Anglia

Hospital superbug cases on the rise - Fenland Today.

Cases of MRSA infections have been rising in East Anglia, bucking the national trend, new figures have shown. Data from the Health Protection Agency shows MRSA cases fell 13% nationally between July and September, with 725 cases. However, over the same period in Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk, the number of cases rose 35% to 27.

Infection control boss hailed by hospital

Infection control boss hailed by hospital (From St Albans & Harpenden Review).

A KEY manager who has helped beat MRSA and other lethal bugs has been namedEmployee of the Year by the trust which runs St Albans City and Watford General hospitals. Deputy director of infection control Frances Stratford won the accolade in the annual award scheme of the West Herts Hospitals Trust. Trust chairman Thomas Hanahoe said: "Staff and volunteers of the trust are the heartbeat of the organization and it is important that we recognise and celebrate their achievements. Every year we see a wide range of nominations, which have been submitted by our patients and staff, to recognise and celebrate the excellent work of both individuals and teams working in our hospitals.”

Superbug trust doubles salary in bid to hire boss

Superbug trust doubles salary in bid to hire boss.

Health chiefs are offering more than twice the usual salary in an effort to find a new boss for the hospital trust that was at the centre of a superbug scandal. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s former chair, James Lee, resigned shortly after the damning Healthcare Commission report into two Clostridium difficile outbreaks at the organisation’s hospitals. At least 90 patients died in the superbug outbreaks in 2005-06. In the report published last October the watchdog blamed management failings and poor infection control methods. George Jenkins, the chair of East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust, is acting as interim chair but there have now been two unsuccessful attempts to find a permanent replacement. Salaries for chairs of acute hospital trusts are usually set by the Department of Health at between £18,164 and £23,020.

University Hospital of North Staffordshire avoids MRSA for two months

University Hospital of North Staffordshire avoids MRSA for two months.

STAFFORDSHIRE’S main hospital has passed its second successive month without a single case of MRSA. The achievement gives it its best performance since figures started being collected on the menace in the mid-1990s. It means 73 days have elapsed since the University Hospital of North Staffordshire treated its last patient for the superbug. And, to allay any fears of people needing an operation, it is six months since the last case was seen in its surgical division – traditionally a high risk area as it contains so many patients with open wounds which can be invaded by the bug.

Superbug rates drop at West Mid

Superbug rates drop at West Mid - Hounslow Chronicle.

Infection rates for superbugs Clostridium Difficile and MRSA have tumbled at West Mid in the first half of this year, according to a new report from the Department of Health. The latest figures, released last week, showed the number of C. Diff infections in patients aged over 65 has almost halved for the period from January to June, to a total of 71 cases, compared to 135 cases over the same period in 2007. The number of MRSA bacteraemia infections also fell by almost 40 per cent for the January 2008 and June 2008 period, to a total of 10 cases, compared to 16 cases in the same period in 2007. Director of infection control Dr May Kyi said: "This is a great result and compliments all the hard work staff and visitors have been doing towards combating Healthcare Associated Infections. We will continue with this hard work and promoting infection control across the Trust."

MRSA Success - No Cases In October , Cambridge University Hospitals

MRSA Success - No Cases In October , Cambridge University Hospitals NHS, England.

Addenbrooke's and the Rosie are winning the fight against infection. There were no incidents of MRSA bloodstream infection in October - a first for the Trust since records began four years ago. Overall, cases of MRSA are 41 per cent down. There have been 25 cases of MRSA bloodstream infection from January to October this year. In the same period for 2007, there were 42. Angela Thompson, Assistant Director of Nursing, said: "This is good news for patients, but it also highlights the hard work and commitment of staff at Addenbrooke's and the Rosie. "We strive to keep the number of cases dropping - all our staff are extra-vigilant with hygiene and hand-washing. Our deep cleaning programme ensures clinical areas are regularly cleansed while the recently launched Central Venous Access Team has also proved a great success in reducing infection.

Superbug figures 'a challenge' says hospital boss

Superbug figures 'a challenge' says hospital boss (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus).

Airedale Hospital needs to work hard to keep its total number of MRSA superbug infections to ten or less in this financial year, according to its head of planning and performance. Delivering the trust’s half-year review to board members, Stuart Shaw said the Steeton hospital had recorded five cases of MRSA since April this year. It has a target of acquiring no more than ten instances of this type of illness in a 12-month period. “We’re right on our limit,” said Mr Shaw. Trust chief executive Adam Cairns said: “I’m quite concerned about MRSA. These are small numbers but we face a significant challenge for the rest of this year keeping within the target limit of ten cases.” He said he felt the hospital had been “a bit unlucky”, pointing out that three of the five MRSA cases it had recorded had originally been acquired in the community.

Patients to be screened for MRSA

BBC NEWS | England | Nottinghamshire | Patients to be screened for MRSA.

Hospital patients in Nottinghamshire are to be screened for MRSA infections before undergoing surgery, health officials have confirmed. Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said the aim was to try to stop the spread of superbugs. The screening is part of a new month-long infection control campaign that will also concentrate on hand hygiene and hospital cleanliness. Patients going into hospital for planned operations will be tested. Infection risks Caroline Trevithick, lead on infection control for NHS East Midlands, said: "It's not about the environment it's about the organisms that are on the skin of the patients.

Baby unit's swift action over MRSA

Baby unit's swift action over MRSA - Bury Free Press.

The Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) at West Suffolk Hospital has discovered two cases of MRSA on skin and is temporarily closed to new admissions from other hospitals. The Bury St Edmunds hospital found MRSA on the skin of two babies in the SCBU unit during routine screening of vulnerable patients on Tuesday.