Superbug kills scores in British hospitals
London
October 2, 2006
THE scale of superbug problems in British hospitals is becoming evident after a hospital trust admitted that a "hyper-virulent" infection claimed the lives of at least 49 patients, possibly more, in nine months.
The superbug Clostridium difficile, which can cause severe illness and death in patients who have undergone surgery, appears to be at unprecedented levels, The Observer newspaper reported yesterday.
The bug has turned into a more virulent strain, ironically as a result of antibiotics commonly prescribed to fight other infections. The increase in cases is partly due to dirty wards, but also to a shortage of beds.
The bacterium has also become more deadly because it has mutated genetically, becoming resistant to other treatments.
Three hospitals in Leicester have admitted that the bug is likely to have caused 28 patients' deaths and contributed to another 21 since the beginning of the year, the newspaper reported. A further 29 suspicious cases have been referred to the coroner.
A report last week indicated that at least 20 patients were thought to have died during an outbreak in Kent this year as a resilient strain of Clostridium difficile spread across the country.
The Healthcare Commission, the National Health Service's independent inspection body, is to hold an inquiry into that outbreak at Maidstone Hospital, when 136 patients were diagnosed with the infection over three months.
According to the commission, Clostridium difficile is the main infectious cause of diarrhoea acquired in British hospitals. It can also lead to fevers, severe inflammation and death in about 5 per cent of cases. More than 51,000 patients in England were found to be carrying the infection last year.
The use of detergents may also unwittingly have spread the infection.
It is thought the chemicals used on floors and equipment may encourage the creation of bacterial spores that are much more resistant to attack.
The only answer appears to be steam-cleaning wards and immediate isolation of infected patients, which will make it harder for hospitals to meet waiting list targets.
theage.com.au |
