Latest healthcare associated infection figures published by Health Protection Agency
18 June 2009
The Health Protection Agency has today published its latest quarterly figures on MRSA (meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) bloodstream infections and C. difficile (Clostridium difficile) infections.
These relate to the January to March 2009 period, the final quarter in the 2008/2009 financial year, providing annual figures for both infections.
The latest figures on MRSA bloodstream infections show that there were 692 cases reported in England during the January to March quarter of 2009. This represents a 29% decrease in cases from the same quarter of last year (January - March 2008) when 970 cases were reported and a 2.1% increase from the previous quarter (October - December 2008) when 678 cases were reported.
In the financial year April 2008 to March 2009, 2,932 reports of MRSA bacteraemia were received. This represents a 34% decrease on the 4,451 reports received from April 2007 to March 2008.
The latest C. difficile figures show that there were 8,358 cases reported in patients aged two years and over between January and March 2009. This represents a 36% reduction on the same quarter last year (January - March) when 12,967 cases were reported and a 6% increase in reported cases from the previous quarter (October to December 2008) when 7,908 cases were reported.
36,097 cases of C. difficile (patients aged two years and over) were reported from 170 Trusts between April 2008 and March 2009 and this is a 35% reduction on the 55,499 cases reported in financial year 2007/08.
Previously C. difficile was only reported for cases aged 65 years and over. We have now increased the information we provide in this quarterly update and are including data in all cases aged two years and over.
Professor Mike Catchpole, Deputy Director of the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections said:
"The substantial drop we have seen in MRSA bloodstream infections and C. difficile over the past year is impressive and a credit to the hard work of our colleagues in the NHS, strengthening good practice in infection control.
"Although very small, there have been increases in MRSA cases and C. difficile cases from the previous quarter but we have observed these before, within an overall annual fall, particularly in the first quarter of the calendar year. If we are to continue to see reductions in healthcare associated infections it is vital that the measures which have won this significant success remain in place and that the public and healthcare workers recognise their importance.
"It is worth remembering that not all healthcare-associated infections are preventable. However, this shouldn't lead to complacency around tackling the infections that are preventable and engaging in the battle to continually drive down rates of healthcare associated infections. These figures show that there can be, and have been, significant reductions."
Ends
Table 1: Quarterly reports of MRSA bacteraemia - April 2006 to March 2009
|
Quarter |
Reports of MRSA bacteraemia |
|---|---|
|
April 2006 – June 2006 |
1,742 |
|
July 2006 – September 2006 |
1,651 |
|
October 2006 – December 2006 |
1,543 |
|
January 2007 – March 2007 |
1,447 |
|
April 2007 – June 2007 |
1,306 |
|
July 2007 – September 2007 |
1,083 |
|
October 2007 – December 2007 |
1,092 |
|
January 2008 – March 2008 |
970 |
|
April 2008 – June 2008 |
838 |
|
July 2008 – September 2008 |
724 |
|
October 2008 – December 2008 |
678 |
|
January 2009-March 2009 |
692 |
Table 2: Quarterly reports of C. difficile infections - April 2007 - March 2009
|
|
Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged 2-64 years |
Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥65 years |
Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥2 years |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Quarter |
Total cases |
*‘Trust apportioned’ |
Total cases |
*‘Trust apportioned’ |
Total cases |
*‘Trust apportioned’ |
|
April – June 2007 |
2,940 |
1,708 |
13,925 |
8,705 |
16,865 |
10,413 |
|
July – September 2007 |
2,534 |
1,390 |
10,885 |
6,483 |
13,419 |
7,873 |
|
October – December 2007 |
2,236 |
1,200 |
10,012 |
5,957 |
12,248 |
7,157 |
|
January – March 2008 |
2,349 |
1,333 |
10,618 |
6,596 |
12,967 |
7,929 |
|
April – June 2008 |
2,192 |
1,143 |
8,691 |
5,016 |
10,883 |
6,159 |
|
July – September 2008 |
1,886 |
897 |
7,062 |
3,789 |
8,948 |
4,686 |
|
October – December 2008 |
1,649 |
811 |
6,259 |
3,497 |
7,908 |
4,308 |
|
January – March 2009 |
1,582 |
786 |
6,776 |
3,984 |
8,358 |
4,770 |
* 'Trust apportioned' refers to specimens taken from a patient three or more days after admission into hospital.
The next set of quarterly figures (April-June 2009 data) will be published on Sept 10, 2009.
For further information Please visit the website http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942126522?p=1191942126522
For further information on this press release please contact the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections press office on:
Georgina Fletcher 020 8327 6690
David Daley 020 8327 6647
Alexandra Baker 020 8327 7098
Louise Brown 020 8327 7080
Kate Swan 020 8327 7097
Last reviewed: 18 June 2009
