Fighting bugs but no MRSA for a year (From Worcester News)

We can still learn more though

7:30pm Sunday 13th January 2013 in News

COMMUNITY hospitals have had no cases of MRSA infection for more than a year but have been battling other bugs.
The five community hospitals in Malvern, Pershore, Evesham,  Bromsgrove and Tenbury have had no incidents of MRSA since October 2011, more than 14 months ago.
However, there have been nine cases of Clostridium difficile since April last year, a bug which causes diarrhoea and stomach cramps and can be fatal in more vulnerable patients.
The trust remains within its cap of 12 cases for the financial year (2012/13) which runs from April to April.
Trust staff, like those at the acute hospital trust which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, have also been battling cases of the winter diarrhoea and vomiting bug norovirus.
On November 4 the trust had to close Clent ward at Bromsgrove to admissions due to some patients developing symptoms.
Two patients were confirmed as having norovirus.
‘Outbreak precautions’ were put in place including bleach cleaning of all hospital toilets. Following a 48-hour period in which patients were free of symptoms the ward was cleaned, had a full curtain change, and re-opened on November 8.
Sandra Brennan, director of quality at the trust, spoke at a meeting of the trust board.
Mrs Brennan said actions by ward staff and the infection control team in handling norovirus had been ‘exemplary’.
She said if patients came to hospital with c.diff (diagnosed within 48 hours as opposed to after 48 hours) there was little the trust could do.
She said: “Clearly we take all infection control seriously. We always review them to see if there is anything we can do differently.
“We are participating in a health economy wide review of c.diff. We have an external assessor coming in.
“That’s taking place next week to see if there is anything else we should be doing as a whole health economy.”
The review will look at issues like antibiotic prescribing because antibiotics can cause c.diff.