Cases of MRSA bloodstream infection fell by 18% at hospitals in England between July and September last year compared to the previous quarter, the latest Health Protection Agency (HPA) figures show, while reported cases of C. difficile dropped by 21%.
Dr Georgia Duckworth, head of the HPA’s Healthcare-Associated Infection and Microbial Resistance Department, said: “The continued decrease in MRSA bloodstream infections is a major achievement against the seemingly unstoppable rise we saw throughout the 1990s. Latest figures show a continuing downward trend, despite increasing workloads and complex patient needs.”
The latest C. difficile figures show 10,734 cases in patients aged 65 and over in England from last July – September, over a fifth less than between April and June (when 13,669 reports were received), and a reduction of 2,087 cases (a 16% fall) on the same period in 2006. In patients aged between 2 and 64 the 2,496 cases reported represented a 14% fall on the previous three months.
The HPA says, however, that the latest figures should be “interpreted with care”, as the surveillance system for MRSA and C. difficile is “undergoing significant changes”. Dr Duckworth explained: “These changes are not yet reflected in the report published today, as Trusts have been given time to review and update their figures in the light of the new criteria.”
The changes include the ability for independent sector healthcare facilities to report both MRSA and bloodstream infection and C.difficile infection rates.
Also, whereas between July and December 2007, Trusts were required to record just one case episode of C. difficile infection per any hospital admission, from 1 January this year a 28-day de-duplication interval has been restored; positive results on the same patient more than 28 days apart are reported as separate episodes.
