9:30am Monday 6th October 2008
By Joanna Lean
THE past five weeks have seen two cases of superbug MRSA arise at Warrington Hospital.
They follow two months of the trust reporting no cases.
Last Wednesday the trust board was told of the suspected causes of the infections.
One elderly patient was gravely ill and receiving end of life care.
A miscommunication between nursing staff and a junior doctor meant blood cultures were taken from the patient four hours before he died which was inappropriate, board members were told.
Since then a new policy has been implemented that demands junior doctors seek advice if they deem a blood culture necessary.
The other patient who contracted MRSA is thought to have become infected through a cannula, a tube inserted into the body.
Most cases the hospital sees are very complex clinically and concern patients in the intensive care unit, said Gordon Ramsden, medical director at the North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust.
Processes of decolonisation or disinfecting have been put in place, he said, to ensure that patients’ skin is properly cleaned before procedures take place.
Disinfecting one area of the skin did not have the same effect, as bacteria creep back on to it from other areas, he explained.
MRSA is carried on most people’s skin and can get into wounds causing infection.
Audits of staff and visitors’ handwashing habits have also been undertaken by staff and a marked improvement has been noted, said Jane Brookes, divisional head of nursing for unscheduled care.
“We should have MRSA right down to zero if possible,” said Mr Ramsden.
“We have got to understand that we are doing very well even though we are one above target.
“We have the second lowest rate in the north west and we’re below the national average,” he said.
“I am not saying that means we can relax but we are doing very well," he said.
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