Superbug cases rise in hospitals

From the Guardian Series, first published Wednesday 29th Jun 2005.

CASES of superbug MRSA have risen at mid Cheshire hospitals - despite a nationwide decline of more than six per cent.

The latest Department of Health figures show the national infection rate is currently at its lowest recorded level, yet the Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust - responsible for the Victoria Infirmary, Northwich, and Crewe's Leighton Hospital - has seen a rise from 31 cases per 1,000 bed-days in 2003-04 to 37 incidents for 2004-05.

But trust chief executive Simon Yates said the infection rates are being dealt with as a matter of urgency.

He said: "The findings relate to figures recorded up to the end of March and the increase to 37 was in fact a result of the April to June period of 2004-2005 where we had an increase in the number of patients.

"We have since had three successive quarters where there has been a reduction in cases."

And Mr Yates said the MRSA bug also develops outside of hospitals.

He added: "People have MRSA on their skin surface but it only becomes a problem if it enters the bloodstream. This typically occurs when someone is wounded and requires surgery, when they are so poorly they are in intensive care and wired to many tubes, or when they are frail, elderly or have a poor immune system.

"Forty per cent of hospital patients whose blood stream becomes 'colonised' with MRSA already had the bug when they came into hospital so now we are developing a screening system to identify whether patients are infected before their stay.

"This is an important step, as well as improving our own hospital controls, so we can manage the risk of what is coming in from outside.

"We have seen a steady reduction in cases in the past few months and it is a priority to continue this success."

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