More work needed to combat C difficile infections
Dr Kari Lounatmaa/Science Photo Library
Clostridium difficile infection on the rise |
Although the incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections in hospitals is falling, more work is needed to combat other health care associated infections, such as Clostridium
difficile, the Health Protection Agency said this week.
HPA
statistics show that reports of C difficile rose by 17.2 per cent
in England last year from 44,107 in 2004 to 51,690 in 2005. “This
increase is very likely to be due to both improved reporting and an increased
number of cases,” it says.
The latest MRSA figures show that there were 3,517 cases in England reported
between October 2005 and March 2006, down 2.5 per cent from the previous
six months.
Health minister Andy Burnham announced this week that the Health Act
gives the Secretary of State the powers to issue a code of practice for
the prevention and control of health care associated infections. Trusts
will have two months to implement the code, after which improvement notices
may be served on those that are failing to do so.
“Some trusts have managed to reduce their rates of infection significantly,
proving that it is possible to get a grip on this problem with focus
and good management but elsewhere progress is not good enough and needs
to improve,” said Mr Burnham.
The Healthcare Commission published its report this week on C difficile outbreaks at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, during which 334 people contracted
the infection and at least 33 people died. The report highlights significant
failings on the part of senior managers, who did not follow advice from
infection control staff, clinicians, nurses and the HPA on stopping the
spread of the infection.
Kieran Hand, lead clinical pharmacist for antimicrobials at Chelsea and
Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust, London, told The Journal: “C
difficile infection is associated with a number of risk factors including
increasing age, prolonged hospital stay, enteral feeding, co-morbidities
and, most importantly, prior antibiotic exposure. Pharmacists have an
important role to play in reducing C difficile infection by discouraging
indiscriminate use of broad spectrum antibiotics, ensuring that antibiotics
are stopped promptly when infection has resolved or, if C difficile-associated
diarrhoea (CDAD) develops, promoting effective treatment of CDAD and
adhering to good infection control practice.”
Cleanyourhands campaign The
National Patient Safety Agency has launched the second part of
its four-year Cleanyourhands
campaign this week. The campaign is designed
to prompt health care staff to clean their hands immediately before and after
patient contact. |
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