Cautious Optimism as HCAI Infection Rates Fall in North West Hospitals

30 January 2008

MRSA bacteraemia and C. difficile infection rates have reduced sharply in North West hospitals, the latest Health Protection Agency report on Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) revealed today (Wednesday 30th January).

The report publishes Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) rates for the quarterly period to the end of September 2007. In the North West in that three-monthly period:

• Reports of MRSA bacteraemia infection fell by 32% since the previous quarter (April-June 2007) and were 39% lower than in the corresponding quarterly period of 2006.
• Reports of C. difficile in people aged 65 years and older were 21% lower than in the previous quarter (April-June 2007), but were 0.1% higher than in the same period of 2006.
• Reports of C. difficile in patients aged 2-64 years were 12% lower than in the previous quarter (April-June 2007). (The reporting of C. difficile cases in people aged 2-64 years was only introduced in April 2007).

Dr. Stephen Morton , Director of the Health Protection Agency's Cumbria and Lancashire Health Protection Unit, said: “These are encouraging figures. It's particularly heartening that we appear to have halted an upward trend in C. difficile infection rates. It would seem that a great deal of hard work by hospital infection control teams, doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters and many others is bearing fruit.

“However, one swallow doesn't make a summer and we should not be overly optimistic on the basis of one quarter's figures. A great deal of work remains to be done and it is right that the containment and reduction of Healthcare Associated Infections should continue to be given the highest priority.”

Notes to editors

Press release issued by Hugh Lamont , Communications Manager HPA North West. Tel. 0151-482-5728 or 07764906508

Mandatory Surveillance Of Healthcare Associated Infections
Key Points For North West Region Regarding Data Published For July-September 2007

Please refer to national HPA website for commentary on the data collection:

http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/default.htm (to be updated on Wednesday 30 th January 2008)

1. MRSA BACTERAEMIA

•  There were 139 MRSA bacteraemia reports in the North West during the quarter July 2007 to September 2007, a 32% decrease from the previous quarter (206 reports in April 2007 to June 2007) and a 39% decrease compared to the same quarter in 2006 (229 reports in July 2006 to September 2006).

•  There were 345 MRSA bacteraemia reports during the 6 months April 2007 to September 2007, a 20% decrease from the previous 6 months (433 in October 2006 to March 2007) and a 31% decrease compared to the same period in 2006 (503 reports in April 2006 to September 2006).

•  There were 936 reports of MRSA bacteraemia in the year April 2006 to March 2007, a 9% decrease compared to the previous year (1,031 in April 2005 to March 2006).

2. C. difficile

•  There were 1709 reports of C. difficile in the North West among patients aged 65 years and over during the quarter July to September 2007, a decrease of 21% compared to the previous quarter (2155 reports in April to June 2007) and a 0.1% increase compared to the same quarter in 2006 (1707 reports in July to September 2006).

• Since April 2007, trusts are required to report C. difficile among patients aged 2-64 years. There were 356 reports in the North West for this age group in the quarter July to September 2007, a 12% decrease on the previous quarter (406 reports in April to June 2007).

A breakdown of the North West data will be available on the North West section of the HPA website
(http://www.hpa.org.uk/northwest/epidemio_surv_reports/hcai.htm ) after the report is published on Wednesday 30 th January.

Last reviewed: 14 January 2009