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Press articles April to June 2008 Press & Media Home
Overcrowding in hospitals 'is behind the high rates of MRSA'
By Jenny Hope
Last updated at 10:49 PM on 23rd June 2008
Overcrowding in hospitals is creating a 'vicious circle' of superbug infections, researchers say. Seven out of ten wards are exceeding bed occupancy targets, an analysis found yesterday.
This is putting patients at increased risk of contracting MRSA, according to a report in The Lancet Infectious Diseases medical journal.
Infected patients are forced to spend longer in hospital, which contributes to 'bed blocking' and also makes them more likely to contract other hospital-acquired diseases.
MRSA campaigners predict that around 40 per cent of trusts will breach the Government's target of halving infection rates this year.
Of 89 foundation trusts, 36 had breached the target at the end of March, according to the regulatory body Monitor.
The latest research, from Australian scientists at the University of Queensland, found that overcrowding and understaffing in hospitals are contributing to the spread of MRSA.
Lead researcher Dr Archie Clements said: 'The drive towards greater efficiency, by reducing the number of hospital beds and increasing patient throughput has led to highly stressed healthcare systems with unwelcome side effects.'
He added that staff shortages and higher workloads meant it was more difficult for nurses and doctors to comply with hygiene rules such as hand-washing.
There was also insufficient space for isolation facilities to reduce the spread of infection, he said. The report compared-MRSA rates across several countries.
In the UK, higher hospital admission rates, together with reduced numbers of beds, have led to 71 per cent of NHS trusts exceeding the Government's bed occupancy target of 82 per cent, Dr Clements said.
Occupancy rates are a measure of what percentage of a hospital's beds are in use at any one time. The scientist added: 'Overcrowding and understaffing have had a negative effect on patients' safety and quality of care, evidenced by the flourishing of healthcare-acquired MRSA infections in many countries, despite efforts to control and prevent these infections occurring.'
Derek Butler, chairman of the MRSA Action charity, said microbiologists were in agreement that bed occupancy of over 85 per cent contributed to infection rates.
He said: 'The ideal figure for hospital bed occupancy is 65 per cent, which is the level followed by the Dutch who have an excellent record on hospital-acquired infections.'
But a spokesman for the Department of Health said a study published in December showed no correlation between MRSA rates and high rates of bed occupancy in England.
She added: 'We do not think it is sensible to dictate to well-performing hospitals that may have bed occupancy rates over 85 per cent that they should bring those rates down. That is for them to manage.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1028882/Overcrowding-hospitals-high-rates-MRSA.html
MRSA 'thriving in busy wards'
Monday, June 23, 2008
A 'vicious cycle' of overcrowding and understaffing in hospitals is fuelling the MRSA crisis, according to a report.
Too many patients and too few nurses means superbugs are thriving – which in turn leads to increased hospital stays, bed blocking and further infection.
Seven in ten health trusts have exceeded the government's bed occupancy target of 82 per cent and hand washing rules have not always been followed, a study published in medical journal The Lancet found.
'Hand washing is vital for reduction of MRSA transmission yet many studies show compliance in nurses is low and in doctors even lower,' said report author Dr Archie Clements, from Australia's University of Queensland.
'Compliance falls further during periods of understaffing and high workload.'
Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action UK, called for bed occupancy rates to fall to 65 per cent – the same as in the Netherlands and Norway.
But a Department of Health spokesman said: 'Analysis published in December 2007 showed there is no correlation between MRSA rates and high rates of bed occupancy in England.'
http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=188634&in_page_id=34
Viewpoint: How dare we let these dirty hospitals kill 8,000 a year?
By Edwina Currie
Last updated at 12:54 AM on 17th June 2008
A record number of people are dying in NHS hospitals from superbugs. According to figures recently released, death certificates for 2006 showed that more than 8,000 patients in England and Wales died from either MRSA, the drug-resistant bug that infects surgical wounds, or from Clostridium difficile, a virulent form of diarrhoea.
Each year, we now kill more people with C.diff than die on our roads, while deaths from MRSA are the equivalent of two train crashes a week.
In fact, more than 55,000 cases of C.diff occur each year, and the number is rising. That's more than 1,000 new cases every seven days. Both infections are preventable, and both are treatable if caught soon enough.
Yet where are the politicians making speeches about this scandal? I can't name any. It makes me seethe.
What's more, those deaths are probably an underestimate, since most hospitals don't bother testing for MRSA until a patient is obviously affected. By the time the results arrive, often the poor soul has died, been certificated and dispatched to the undertakers.
The MRSA superbug, which contributes to the deaths of over 8,000 hospital patients each year
Until April last year, we didn't even bother counting cases of C.diff among patients under 65 - as if they didn't matter. True, mortality is lower among young people, but they're just as likely to spread it as anyone else.
The Government's own target, set in March 2004, is merely to halve the number of MRSA cases. That is a pathetic failure of will.
It's five years since infection control managers were ordered for every NHS Trust. Well-paid but powerless, they've made not a scrap of difference.
This spring, a £40 million hospital 'deep clean' took place, but what is the point if wards are as neglected the following day as before? Yesterday, official figures showed that more than a quarter of health trusts are failing to meet basic hygiene standards.
Ministers should check out practice in other countries. In Holland and Scandinavia the policy is 'search and destroy'.
All patients are tested, cases are isolated and treated until they get the all- clear, so only occasional examples of MRSA occur. Their standards of cleanliness and vigilance are awesome by comparison.
The answer is simple: hospitals must be clean, clean, clean. Florence Nightingale knew this, in the days before antibiotics made us lazy.
It is not a question of money but of good practice. Plain soap and water on floors, beds, shelves, door-handles, everywhere; hygiene maintained ferociously, but especially around bathrooms, toilets, kitchens.
Actress Leslie Ash, whose own battle with MRSA caused her to lose feeling from her waist down and needing a walking stick
Thorough sterilisation of equipment, particularly if it's going to be used many times; clean uniforms; and more than anything, staff washing their hands before they touch a patient. Over and over again.
Recently, I've visited friends in hospitals. The standards were not bad; the wards were fairly clean. But bed curtains hung off their hooks and needed a wash.
Beds were too close together - an invitation to cross-infection. I didn't see anybody using alcohol gels and when I checked (this was a teaching hospital), several of the dispensers were empty.
There wasn't a sink nearby in the ward; apparently they aren't designed that way any more. The Government advises a 'bare below the elbow' uniform, to encourage hand-washing; on one ward with elderly folk prone to C.diff, the doctors were in scruffy clothes, sleeves down to the wrists.
It took half an hour before one old lady was assisted to get out of bed to go to the toilet. Last time, I was told, they didn't get to her quick enough and she 'went' in the bed. Then they wonder why they still have problems?
There's a climate of complacency and even ignorance in some of the worst-offending hospitals. At an NHS conference last week I was asked by one senior woman manager why the Press are so critical.
She had got her staff retrained; she claimed her hospital was a success story. I asked how many cases of MRSA they'd had in the past year and she didn't know.
But she knew how many they'd had last week, and it was four. That works out at several hundred a year. She believed this was a cause for congratulation and got shirty when I disagreed.
Yet when hospital managers take control of the situation, outcomes can improve.
The Royal Worcester Hospital replaced all its old commodes and every mattress and its infection rates dramatically fell.
Campaigning charities such as The Patients' Association and MRSA Action UK urge patients to take a stand.
If a member of staff does not wash their hands, insist they do. If a commode is unclean, tell somebody. Challenge bad practice and praise good work, too.
If staff from doctors to kitchen hands remembered they, too, might be a patient next week, suffering the same grubby regime as the rest of us, then maybe things would change.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1026990/Viewpoint-How-dare-let-dirty-hospitals-kill-8-000-year.html?ITO=1490
Rats found in hospital kitchen
Neal Keeling
16/ 6/2008
A HOSPITAL kitchen shut down after it was infested by rats has re-opened.
Staff discovered the rodents at Wythenshawe Hospital and bosses ordered an intensive 'deep clean'.
But another rat was found in the kitchen a few days later and it has now been closed down.
The discovery comes as a watchdog named and shamed three health trusts in Greater Manchester for failing to meet hygiene standards.
The kitchen, which caters for 35 patients on the hospital's renal and burns units, was first shut down on Friday, June 6.
Contractors carried out a deep clean using chemicals and pesticides and all food stored in the kitchen was destroyed.
It re-opened two days later, but another rat was spotted and it has remained shut ever since.
Patients on the units were being fed from other kitchens on the hospital site.
The NHS Trust which runs the site said it was looking to find out how the rats had got into the building - which is only six years old.
A spokesman said: "The walls are being opened up to try and establish how the rats are gaining access. Wire mesh has been put on windows and drain pipes blocked as a precaution to keep them out.
"While a structural examination is carried out the kitchen will remain closed. Food will be taken direct to the wards from a main kitchen."
Health group MRSA Action UK, which campaigns for cleaner hospitals, said the find was disturbing.
Chairman Derek Butler said: "Research has shown 30pc of NHS hospitals are unfit. Hygiene is not just about the wards, it is about the whole hospital environment. The kitchens, restrooms and corridors all have to be attended to.
"If infections get into food or are on unclean cutlery or plates, the chances of patients contracting an illness are higher."
Wythenshawe Hospital went from zero to a top three-star rating in 12 months in 2002 - it won independence as a foundation hospital in 2006.
The hospital, which has 5,300 staff, specialises in heart surgery, lung conditions and treating burns and has previously been hailed for pioneering the use of anti-microbial oils to fight infections.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1054110_rats_found_in_hospital_kitchen
Superbug in hospital outbreak 'has same death rate as smallpox'
Published Date: 15 June 2008
By Gareth Rose
EXPERTS fear the strain of Clostridium difficile that has killed eight people at the Vale of Leven Hospital, and been involved in the deaths of eight more, is as deadly as smallpox. The strength of the 027 strain is under investigation, but the rate of fatalities in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde hospital, in West Dunbartonshire, has horrified bacteriologists.
The strain is 20 times more toxic than normal C diff, but ordinarily it would still only be expected to claim the lives of 7% of the people it infects. At the Vale of Leven, 22 people with the infection have died in the past six months. In eight cases, C difficile was believed to be the main cause of death.
There have been calls for the Scottish Government to launch an inquiry into why it took so long for the hospital to raise the alarm when worryingly high numbers of cases can be traced back as far as January.
Health Protection Scotland is constantly reviewing its guidance on the administering of antibiotics. Too many can leave patients vulnerable to C difficile by killing off the friendly bacteria in their bodies, while too few can fail to treat the illness they are in hospital with.
However, it is the damage the 027 strain caused once it had taken hold in the Vale of Leven that is of greatest concern.
Hugh Pennington, professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said: "This horrendous death rate – that's an appropriate word to use – requires explanation.
"Were a lot of cases undetected? I think there's more to it than that. If it's a new strain killing that many, well, that's a mortality rate of smallpox from the middle ages.
"If you are looking at the history of infectious diseases, there are very few that approach that level of mortality."
Between 2004 and 2006, 90 people died from C diff in three Kent hospitals, in Britain's deadliest superbug outbreak. However, that was out of 1,176 who had been infected – a lower rate than in Vale of Leven.
Pennington said: "With this level of infection, eight deaths is a hell of a lot. It's outrageously high.
"It is possibly more virulent and produces more toxins than previous strains."
The Vale of Leven outbreak has already raised C difficile's profile above that of MRSA, the previously better known hospital superbug.
There are fears alcohol wipes used to prevent the spread of MRSA may aid C diff, as they stimulate the growth of pores, allowing it to move more easily from one patient to another.
This means the Scottish Government and health boards may have to rethink their approach to tackling superbugs.
Pennington said: "It's something we've been concerned about for some time. Now this 027 strain has raised the profile of C diff, and it has emerged as a serious problem.
"It's had a very low priority until very recently and seems to have gone under the radar."
Health Protection Scotland, which is facing questions from Scottish Labour on its role in the failure to raise the alarm earlier, is at a loss to explain why the Vale of Leven outbreak proved so deadly.
Dr Anne Eastaway, consultant microbiologist at Health Protection Scotland, said: "There are suggestions from Canada that 027 is a strain that spreads easily, but that's not a constantly held view.
"The issue over deaths is less clear-cut.
"We don't really know the answer (as to why the Vale of Leven outbreak proved so deadly] yet."
She said guidance on the strength of prescriptions of antibiotics was a "constant balancing act" between leaving patients vulnerable to C diff and running the risk of them contracting other infections.
Last Updated: 14 June 2008 7:39 PM
Source: Scotland On Sunday
Location: Scotland
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Superbug-in-hospital-outbreak-39has.4186845.jp
16 deaths linked to C Diff outbreak at one hospital
DAMIEN HENDERSON
June 12 2008
A leading health expert last night warned that the virulent hospital bug C Diff could now be a bigger threat than MRSA after it emerged that 16 patients were found to have died in the country's biggest outbreak.
An investigation by the infection control team at Vale of Leven Hospital in West Dunbartonshire revealed 54 people had been treated for a particularly deadly strain of C Diff in the six months to June 1, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS said yesterday.
Eight people died as a direct result of the 027 strain and the bug was found to have contributed to the deaths of a further eight people, the health board said.
Another six patients with the infection died at the hospital, but the board said the C Diff played no role in these cases.
The outbreak is the clearest sign yet that C Diff has taken root in Scotland. It had previously been considered more of a problem south of the border. The first Scottish case of 027 was diagnosed in October 2006.
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, described the latest outbreak as a major threat to Scottish hospitals.
He said: "There's no absolute proof, but it does seem to be particularly good at spreading in hospitals and that may be one of the reasons it has become more common."
He added that there was reason to believe C Diff was more of a priority than MRSA, warning: "A lot more people die from C Diff and it kills people quite speedily compared with MRSA, which can take months to kill."
After an emergency outbreak control meeting on Tuesday to discuss the latest worrying developments, it was agreed to conduct an urgent review of the use of antibiotics, which can contribute to C Diff infections by destroying other bacteria in the gut that would normally fight against it.
The board's hand hygiene co-ordinator has also been sent to the hospital to investigate improvements to hand-washing facilities and compliance with hygiene protocols at the hospital.
Of the 54 infected patients, only 13 had contracted C Diff before entering the hospital.
The emergency measures follow the completion of an investigation of C Diff cases in the Clyde area ordered in March after a "cluster" of three people were found to have the bug - two at Vale of Leven and one at the Royal Alexandria Hospital in Paisley. One of those patients died.
A further meeting of the outbreak control team, which includes members of the health board's Public Health Protection Unit, Health Protection Scotland and infection control leaders, is scheduled for this afternoon.
Hygiene experts last night warned the growth of C Diff, particularly the 027 strain, raised questions about the suitability of hygiene procedures introduced in UK hospitals to tackle the spread of MRSA.
While alcohol wipes and gels common on Scottish wards are seen as effective in combating MRSA, they do not kill C Diff spores and there is some evidence alcohol may even promote their growth.
Mr Pennington called for a Scottish-wide review to examine whether it was necessary to revert to "old-fashioned" hand-washing methods.
"One of the issues is that there is so much emphasis on alcohol gels and wipes. For MRSA, these are fine but they don't do much to combat C Diff," he said.
"We may need to go back to the old-fashioned method of hand-washing in sinks using soap as it appears to be the only thing that keeps C Diff at bay."
A spokeswoman for Health Protection Scotland, the NHS agency tasked with preventing disease and infection outbreaks, said it supported measures taken by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and was working with infection control teams from other health boards to contain the spread of C Diff.
Dr Syed Ahmed, chair of the NHSGGC outbreak control team, said he was "particularly concerned" about the number of deaths at Vale of Leven between last December and June 1.
© All rights reserved.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2335881.0.16_deaths_linked_to_C_Diff_outbreak_at_one_hospital.php
Garlic may help beat MRSA 'superbug'
Wednesday June 11 2008 18:29 IST
LONDON: An ingredient in garlic is the latest weapon in the battle to fight the hospital 'superbug' MRSA, according to researchers at the University of East London.
They claim to have found that allicin, a natural compound that gives garlic its distinctive smell, can cure patients suffering from the antibiotic-resistant infection.
Trial conducted with 52 patients, who took allicin capsules or sprayed a liquid on to their wounds, recovered fully within four to 12 weeks.
"This is a breakthrough in the fight against MRSA," the Mirror quoted lead author Dr Ron Cutler, of the University of East London, as saying.
Derek Butler, of the charity MRSA Action UK, said: "We welcome any new developments in the fight against infection."
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE320080611080828&Page=3&Title=Features+-+Health+%26+Science&Topic=-162
Mrsa Garlic 'Cure'
Posted on: Tuesday, 10 June 2008
By EMILY COOK
THE killer superbug MRSA can be beaten with garlic, scientists have claimed.
Trials showed that allicin, a natural compound which gives garlic its distinctive smell, can cure patients suffering from the antibiotic-resistant infection.
In a trial, all 52 patients who took allicin capsules or sprayed a liquid on to their wounds recovered fully within four to 12 weeks. Leader Dr Ron Cutler, of the University of East London, said: "This is a breakthrough in the fight against MRSA."
The infection officially kills almost 2,000 hospital patients a year, although experts believe the true toll is closer to 5,000.
Derek Butler, of the charity MRSA Action UK, said: "We welcome any new developments in the fight against infection."
(c) 2008 Daily Mirror. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1426381/mrsa_garlic_cure/
MRSA cure on the high street
Submitted by: Tiger White PR
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
TUESDAY 10th JUNE 2008
NEW RESEARCH REVEALS NATURAL WEAPON AGAINST MRSA
A safe, natural compound that kills MRSA is now available on the high street and has already cured at least 52 people, suffering from MRSA infections, in Britain.
Scientists from the University of East London (UEL) have revealed the results of a new patient study program confirming that stabilised allicin, a 100% natural compound derived from garlic, is highly effective at treating patients with MRSA-infected wounds within weeks. The programme follows clinical research published in 2004 in the British Journal of Biomedical Science1 that demonstrated stabilised allicin’s in vitro efficacy against MRSA.
Stabilised allicin is widely available in UK high street pharmacies including Boots and all good health food stores and gives consumers a readily accessible, natural weapon against the now widespread superbug. Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 1,087 cases of MRSA from October to the end of December last year.
The new research, due to be published in the Journal of Alternatives in Natural Therapy in September 2008, will be welcomed by thousands of people affected by the superbug, from patients, doctors, nurses, community care workers and people due to be admitted into hospitals.
The patient study program followed 52 patients suffering from hospital acquired MRSA-infected wounds. MRSA infection was verified through swabbing and analysis in UEL laboratories. Patients were asked to take up to 1350mg of stabilised allicin capsules and some were asked to spray a stabilised allicin liquid or use a cream formulation on the infected area twice daily. All 52 case studies treated with stabilised allicin recovered fully from their MRSA infection. Many wounds healed between 4 and 12 weeks of starting treatment.
The paper also highlights in detail three case studies of patients with confirmed MRSA infections at multiple sites. All had been treated with a series of conventional antibiotics (oral, topical and intravenous) in hospital but were discharged when antibiotics proved to be ineffective.
Allicin is a sulphur based-compound derived from garlic that contributes to its distinctive smell and helps it to defend itself against invading micro-organisms. Widely acknowledged as a highly active anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal agent, allicin is a very unstable molecule which has made it difficult to use on a practical level. It is only recently that researchers have discovered and patented a method to extract allicin that is stable and active in vitro and in vivo against MRSA and many other bacterial infections.
Over use of conventional antibiotics has caused many bacteria to survive and develop resistance to treatment. Stabilised allicin is an extremely small molecule that penetrates the cell walls and kills bacteria outright (bactericidal) by interfering with vital metabolic processes, including synthesis of proteins that allow the bacteria to function. Stabilised allicin also prevents bacteria from releasing many enzymes that are toxic to humans and prevent infected wounds from healing. Unlike conventional antibiotics, stabilised allicin only affects “bad” bacteria, so there is no damage to the beneficial intestinal flora and fauna. Unlike many antibiotics, there are no known side effects or contra-indications associated with stabilised allicin and can even be taken by patients on blood thinning drugs.
“Garlic guru” Peter Josling, Director of The Garlic Centre, who funded the study, said: “As we enter a new age of frightening multi-drug resistant organisms, it is a relief to know mother nature has evened the odds for us. Stabilised allicin has a key role to play in the fight against the superbug MRSA in a hospital, nursing home or community setting. Many healthcare workers may also find that stabilised allicin intake may reduce their own risk of developing an infection. The even better news is that this powerful, safe and natural compound is available from high street pharmacies all over the UK.”
Dr Ron Cutler, Principle Microbiologist and researcher at the University of East London said: “This is a breakthrough in the fight against MRSA. We have long known that stabilised allicin is very active against MRSA in the lab and these results from volunteer studies show it can be effective in treating humans.”
Derek Butler, spokesperson for charity MRSA Action said: "As a charity we welcome any new developments in the fight to treat resistant strains of infections, and we hope that stabilised allicin may offer the hope of a step forward in this fight.”
http://www.responsesource.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=39503&hilite=
Press Release
MRSA Action UK:
Antibacterial wipes are not the panacea for healthcare infections
4th June 2008
MRSA Action UK’s contention has always been that to eliminate bacteria from the healthcare environment a systematic, comprehensive policy of eradication must be employed. In today’s medical arena the battle against infections is not just against MRSA and Clostridium difficile, but also against the others waiting in the wings. As a Charity that has been campaigning for safer hospitals in this country all the initiatives that have been introduced to reduce infections in our hospitals will fail, if this systematic and comprehensive approach is not taken.
Hospital cleanliness is paramount for the safety of patients in the NHS, and using antibacterial wipes as a policy to keep our hospitals clean is doomed to failure.
Antibacterial wipes can be effective against pathogens such as MRSA but only if used in the right way. They should only be used once for one surface, however there is no substitute for proper cleaning and decontamination performed by staff that are properly educated and trained in this process, using the appropriate equipment and techniques. The cleaning process should be comprehensive, and we believe monitored on its efficacy, and compliant in all ways. To be successful in this decontamination process it must be supported by regular environmental testing.
We would advise patients who take antibacterial wipes into hospital that they should not attempt to clean any area that is visibly soiled or contaminated, particularly in an environment where Clostridium difficile, Norovirus or other bacteria are present, they should always bring any unsanitary conditions to the attention of nursing staff, as there would be significant risk to a patient attempting to clean such contamination where the wipes would be ineffective.
Controlling the infections in our hospitals cannot be solved by any single method, there are many ways for these pathogens to be transmitted on hands, uniforms, contaminated equipment and by the airborne route. The abject failure of this government to introduce a comprehensive system of infection prevention and control has ensured that as a nation we will stay bottom of the league with the numbers of healthcare infections in our hospitals, and until they tackle this problem head-on we will not have the safe, clean care of our neighbours in Northern Europe, where eradication of the bacteria remains a top priority.
As a Charity we have always maintained that whilst antibacterial wipes may help to prevent a patient contracting a healthcare infection, they are no guarantee, only thorough regular decontamination, and strict adherence to comprehensive infection prevention and control policies will do this.
All patients to be tested for MRSA in bid to beat superbug
Published Date: 03 June 2008
By Emily Pykett
ALL patients admitted to hospital for routine operations are to be tested for MRSA as part of a pilot programme aimed at destroying the superbug.
Three health boards will take part in the £5.2 million, year-long Scottish Government scheme, which could benefit almost a million patients.
If they test positive, they will undergo a five-day course of antiseptic skin washes and antibiotic ointment applied to the nostrils – unless this hinders their immediate treatment – before being tested again.
Announcing the pilot scheme yesterday, Nicola Sturgeon, the health secretary, said the government, which has pledged to cut superbugs by 30 per cent by 2010, was committed to rolling the scheme out across the whole of Scotland from next year at an annual cost of £16 million.
The pilots are taking place in the Ayrshire and Arran, Western Isles and Grampian health board areas.
Experts and patients' groups welcomed the move – although there were calls for a nationwide scheme to be implemented immediately.
Scotland currently spends £183 million a year in the fight against MRSA.
During a visit to Kilmarnock's Crosshouse Hospital, which is involved in the pilot, Ms Sturgeon said: "It's crucial that the public have confidence in their NHS and know they're going to get the best possible care if they need hospital treatment.
"Healthcare-associated infection is a problem for health services around the world, and Scotland is no different. But we're determined to do all we can to minimise the risk that patients will contract MRSA, which can cause unnecessary complications.
"A simple swab as part of the pre-admission process is all it takes to establish whether a patient has MRSA.
"Many people carry the bug on their skin or in their nose, but it is only when it enters an open wound that it causes problems – that is why we are introducing screening for hospital patients.
"In tandem with initiatives such as our national hand- hygiene campaign and a new reporting system for C diff, MRSA screening will help us meet our target to reduce Staph aureus (which includes MRSA] blood infections by 2010."
Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen, welcomed the project. He told The Scotsman: "People have realised that this really has to be done now if we are to tackle MRSA.
"It's quite expensive, but if you look at the total costs of tackling MRSA, let alone the human suffering it involves, the cost of screening should make a saving. We know that, with any system, people sometimes slip through the net but I would be surprised if this does not reap benefits.
"The only thing that needs to be done now is make sure people are isolated when cases of MRSA are identified, but this would incur extra cost."
Margaret Watt, who chairs the Scottish Patients' Association, said: "We have been campaigning for this for such a long time; it is excellent to know it is finally going ahead. But it should be rolled out all across Scotland now, not in a year's time. Doing it piecemeal means not all patients will be able to access the same treatment.
"Each and every patient should be swabbed for MRSA before they reach each and every hospital, not just in selected areas. It sounds like common sense to us – why hasn't routine testing on admissions happened before?"
IN NUMBERS
1,652
The number of people in the UK who died of MRSA in 2006.
£30,000
The amount that Greater Glasgow NHS Board is being sued for by Elizabeth Miller, 71, of Kilsyth, after surgery in 2001 to replace a heart valve resulted in MRSA infection.
5
The number of common strains of MRSA killed in clinical trials of a new drug treatment, XF-73, made by Destiny Pharma.
3 out of 10
The number of people carrying MRSA bacterium on their skin.
Almost one in 10
The number of patients who get infections in Scottish hospitals – the highest rate in the UK.
6,480
The number of hospital patients killed by C diff in 2006, up 72 per cent on the previous year.
94
The number of people who died between 2002-6 of MRSA-related illness at Derriford Hospital, in Plymouth – the highest rate in the UK.
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/All-patients-to-be-tested.4143673.jp
Disinfectant wipes may spread bacteria rather than kill them, say scientists
By Jenny Hope
3rd June 2008
Disinfectant wipes routinely used in hospitals may actually spread drug-resistant bacteria rather than kill them, claim researchers.
The wipes have been a main plank of infection control for three years but they fail to destroy all the bacteria they come into contact with, and could transfer them to other surfaces, says a study from Cardiff University.
Current practices in NHS hospitals which mean staff use one wipe to clean several surfaces before discarding them are likely to result in the spread of potentially deadly MRSA infections, it concludes.
Dr Gareth Williams, who presented the findings yest (tues) at the American Society of Microbiology's General Meeting in Boston, said they were 'high risk' practices.
He said: 'We need to give guidance to the staff on how to use the wipes because we found there is a possibility of cross transfer.
'Claims of effectiveness, such as ‘kills MRSA’, are ubiquitous on the packaging of antimicrobial-containing wipes.
'On the whole, wipes can be effective in removing, killing and preventing the transfer of pathogens such as MRSA but only if used in the right way.
'We found that the most effective way is to prevent the risk of MRSA spread in hospital wards is to ensure the wipe is used only once on one surface.'
MRSA kills almost 2,000 hospital patients a year in the UK based on mentions of the infection on deaths certificates, although experts believe the toll is closer to 5,000 victims.
Blood infection with MRSA is seen as the most serious form of the bug as it can lead to blood poisoning and organ failure, but it underestimates the scale of the problem because the superbug also infects wounds.
Because the superbug is resistant to most everyday antibiotics, infections can often only be treated with expensive, intravenous drugs.
Dr Williams, microbiologist at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, said the study investigated cleaning methods used in intensive care units at two Welsh hospitals.
The researchers found many health care workers used a single antimicrobial wipe to clean multiple surfaces near patients, such as bed rails, monitors, tables and key pads.
It was found the wipes were being applied to the same surface several times and used on consecutive surfaces before being discarded.
The process was replicated in the laboratory using several commercially available wipes to clean surfaces contaminated with different strains of MRSA.
Researchers found some wipes can remove higher numbers of bacteria from surfaces than others, but the wipes tested were unable to kill the bacteria removed.
As a result high numbers of bacteria were transferred to other surfaces when reused.
Derek Butler of the charity MRSA Action, who lost his stepfather to the superbug four years ago, blamed the Government's complacency for not giving sufficient priority to staff training and education.
He said: 'One in three trusts is failing on hospital infections and they have got to make changes to bring hospital cleanliness into the 21st century.
'The Government is failing the people of this country by paying lip service to infection prevention and control, including the £57 million deep clean which was a pure waste of public money.
'Unfortunately bacterial wipes are seen as a cure-all for bugs that give a false impression of cleanliness.
'They don't kill C.diff bugs, for example, only soap, water and bleach does that.
'I agree with the Cardiff University researchers that NHS staff need a lot more education and training to help them keep our hospitals safe.'
Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said 'From start to finish, Labour’s attitude to hospital infections has been woefully misguided.
'For years even their own advisers have been telling them that the way to tackle the problem is to identify infected patients as early as possible and then isolate them to make sure others don’t catch it.
'But Labour have ignored the experts and Gordon Brown has stubbornly chosen to put time, money and effort into a ‘deep clean’ which made a good headline but wasn’t backed up by any evidence.'
Nursing in Practice
Cleaners urged to get superbug training
Wednesday 28th May 2008
A recent survey carried out by Econo-Med at the Newcastle and Cardiff Nursing in Practice 2008 Events found that more than 90% of medical professionals thought that cleaners could benefit from more training on cross-contamination.
Andrew Large, Director General of the Cleaning Support Services Association (CSSA) comments: "All NHS trusts need to recognise the value that cleaning plays in fighting healthcare associated infections. The NHS should provide necessary funds and time to enable appropriate training for cleaning staff."
The survey also revealed that 75% of medical staff felt that there is not enough patient awareness on the dangers caused by superbugs and 11% of medical staff confessed they had not received cross-contamination training.
Derek Butler Chairman of MRSA Action UK remarks: "It is down to our government to raise the public's awareness of the dangers caused by superbugs. They should follow Ireland's example by running a national advertising campaign which highlights the hazards caused by healthcare-associated infections. Combatting cross-infection and superbugs is an all or nothing issue. There is no place for people or organisations to sit on the fence."
http://www.nursinginpractice.com/default.asp?title=Cleanersurgedtogetsuperbugtraining&page=article.display&article.id=11247
Letters to the Telegraph
27 May 2008
A surrender to superbugs
Sir- The number of people killed by MRSA, Clostridium difficile and other hospital-acquired infections is possibly higher than the 8,000 a year recorded on death certificates (report, May 23).
A recent study of hospital records by the Office for National Statistics showed that test results often do not arrive for several days, by which time the deceased has already been given a certificate.
The Government's own target is only to halve the number of cases of MRSA, not to eradicate it. This is a lamentable failure of will, especially when compared with the Netherlands and Scandinavian countries where a "search and destroy" policy has proved very effective.
The "deep-clean" exercise this spring showed how distant from reality the Department of Health's thinking is. What is the point if the next day the bathrooms, toilets and wards are just as disgusting as they were before?
The funds available to the NHS are three times what we had 20 years ago. How long until the money is spent on sending patients home well?
Edwina Currie Jones, South Nutfield, Surrey
Latest News
Drug "may hold cure to MRSA bug"
Tuesday 20th May 2008
A Brighton-based pharmaceutical firm is working on a new drug that it claims could hold the key to curing MRSA.
The bactericidal compound, codenamed XF-73, has been manufactured by Destiny Pharma, which says the drug actually kills bacteria unlike most antibiotics which only prevent its growth.
The drug, applied as a gel into patients' noses, killed the five most common MRSA strains in laboratory tests and, despite 55 exposures, no strain developed resistance to the drug in the same way it does to antibiotics.
Destiny Pharma's chief executive Dr Bill Love, told the Independent on Sunday: "If it goes through clinical trials successfully, it really is a completely fundamental breakthrough. The potential is really quite amazing."
He said he hoped NHS strategic health authorities, responsible for commissioning treatment and deep cleans, would be willing to pay for XF-73 if it was approved by the NICE, the paper reported.
Derek Butler, chairman of the campaign group MRSA Action, cautiously welcomed the development and called on the government to provide more funding for research into reducing infections.
He said: "We are interested in anything in the development of cures or treatment for MRSA. However, we have reservations. I think more tests need to be done on it."
Copyright © PA Business 2008
Destiny Pharma
News
Cure hope for killer bug MRSA
By EMMA MORTON
Health Editor
Published: 19/05/2008
BRITISH scientists have developed a drug they claim holds the key to stamping out MRSA.
XF-73 destroys the killer bug — while antibiotics only halt its growth, if they work at all.
XF-73, smeared up patients’ noses in a gel, could now be rolled out to hospitals by 2011.
Official figures show 1,087 people were hit by MRSA in the last three months of 2007.
Destiny Pharma, developers of the new drug, say the infection kills at least 1,600 a year.
Bosses claim XF-73 overcomes the biggest problem in tackling the mutating bug — its resistance to antibiotics — by destroying it outright.
The drug killed the five most common MRSA strains in lab tests.
No strain developed resistance, even after 55 exposures.
Destiny Pharma’s chief executive Dr Bill Love said: “The potential is quite amazing. It really is a fundamental breakthrough.”
A spokesman for the company, based in Brighton, East Sussex, added: “This result is the latest of many which have shown XF-73’s high potential.”
Campaigners gave the new drug a cautious welcome. Derek Butler, of MRSA Action, said: “We are very hopeful — but bacteria have a habit getting round new treatments.”
The Department of Health added: “This is interesting research.”
It said MRSA rates in hospitals were down a third on last year.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1178608.ece
WONDER GEL WILL CURE MRSA
CURE: Experts hail superbug breakthrough
Monday May 19,2008
By Sara Dixon
BRITISH scientists last night claimed to be on the brink of finding a cure for the deadly superbug MRSA.
They say the “amazing” new drug could be ready to stop the spread of the killer virus in just three years.
The revolutionary compound, codename XF-73, is easily applied in a gel to the nostrils.
It succeeds where traditional antibiotics fail because it kills the virus outright – rather than merely trying to contain it – by attacking the membrane and preventing it from mutating.
The news comes just as figures are to be released this week to show deaths linked to MRSA rising by more than a third in just one year. Campaigners last night urged the Government to speed up any tests necessary to get it on the market. First, it will have to be approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Geoff Martin, of the NHS pressure group Health Emergency said: “We cannot afford any bureaucratic delays in terms of rolling this out, because the need is urgent.
“We can’t cut corners, but there should be no holds barred in making sure this is out there as quickly as possible.
Guarded welcome for superbug 'cure'
British Scientists Fight Killer MRSA Bug
Sunday May 18, 2008
A new drug to kill off the fatal hospital bug MRSA is being tested by British scientists and they hope it will ready for patients within three years.
Most antibiotics used to treat hospital bugs such as MRSA are bacteriostatic, meaning they prevent the growth of bacteria.
But pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma believes its compound - codenamed XF-73 - could hold the key to stamping out the potentially-fatal bug.
A study showed that, even after 55 repeat exposures, MRSA bacteria did not develop resistance to the drug - which is applied as a gel into patients' noses - in the same way it does to antibiotics.
The research was led by Destiny Pharma's chief executive Dr Bill Love: "If it goes through clinical trials successfully, it really is a completely fundamental breakthrough," he told the Independent on Sunday.
"The potential is really quite amazing."
He said he hoped NHS strategic health authorities, responsible for spending money on treatment and deep cleans, would be willing to pay for XF-73 if it was approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
The firm presented its findings to the European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona last month.
XF-73 destroyed the five most common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) in laboratory tests, according to the study.
Five of the most common strains of MRSA were tested against the drug and an antibiotic was used as a control.
Derek Butler, chairman of the campaign group MRSA Action, cautiously welcomed the development and called on the Government to provide more funding for research into reducing infections.
He said: "We need to be careful in saying we have beaten the resistance problem. Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop.
"But it is a good move and we are very hopeful."
Last September, the Prime Minister announced that every NHS hospital in England would be deep-cleaned in a bid to tackle bugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,91251-1316373,00.html
New drug 'can kill MRSA superbug'
Sunday, 18 May 2008
British scientists are working on a drug which they say can destroy the most virulent strains of superbug MRSA.
Researchers at Brighton-based Destiny Pharma are testing the drug in the hope it can be used in hospitals by 2011.
Official figures show in the last three months of last year there were more than 1,000 cases of MRSA in England.
Campaign group MRSA Action cautiously welcomed the new findings and urged the government to provide more funding for research into fighting infections.
Pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma believes its compound - codenamed XF-73 - could be a "breakthrough" in the battle against the hospital superbug.
A study of the new drug, which is applied as a gel into patients' noses, showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) did not develop resistance to the compound despite being exposed to it 55 times.
The company's chief executive, Dr Bill Love, told the Independent on Sunday that if the drug passed its clinical trials, it would be a "completely fundamental breakthrough".
"The potential is really quite amazing," he said.
He added that he hoped NHS strategic health authorities would back the drug if it won the approval of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
More tests 'needed'
The firm presented its findings to the European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona last month.
The XF-73 compound managed to destroy the five most common strains of MRSA in tests, the company said.
Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action, said he was interested in "anything in the development of cures or treatment for MRSA" and was hopeful the research would prove beneficial.
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"Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop"
Derek Butler
MRSA Action UK |
But he added: "I think more tests need to be done on it. We need to be careful in saying we have beaten the resistance problem.
"Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop."
A Department of Health spokesman said "a close watch" would be maintained on all emerging findings regarding the superbug.
The latest official figures show recent drops in the number of new MRSA infections seem to have stalled.
Cases in England rose by 0.6% between October and December 2007 to 1,087, the Health Protection Agency said last month.
It comes after a series of continuous drops in infections since April 2006.
Last September, Prime Minister Gordon Brown ordered all hospitals to deep clean, to tackle the spread of infections, such as MRSA.
But the Conservatives said the programme was a shambles as not all the money promised to cover the costs of cleaning had materialised.
Cleaning firms said ministers should instead have properly funded day-to-day cleaning.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7406832.stm
Scientists work on 'cure' for MRSA
Updated 09.19 Sun May 18 2008
Keywords: deepclean, deep clean, deep-clean, hospital, XF-73, NHS, disease, Dr Bill Love, Destiny Pharma, MRSA Action UK, Derek Butler, MRSA
British scientists are working on a new drug which they believe could herald a breakthrough in efforts to cure MRSA.
Researchers are carrying out trials of a bactericidal compound, which they claim actually kills bacteria, with a view to developing a product for use in hospitals within three years.
Researchers are carrying out trials of a bactericidal compound, which they claim actually kills bacteria
Brighton-based pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma believes its compound - codenamed XF-73 - could hold the key to stamping out the potentially-fatal bug.
A study showed that, even after 55 repeat exposures, MRSA bacteria did not develop resistance to the drug - which is applied as a gel into patients' noses.
Destiny Pharma's chief executive Dr Bill Love, who led the research, said: "If it goes through clinical trials successfully, it really is a completely fundamental breakthrough. The potential is really quite amazing."
He said he hoped NHS strategic health authorities, responsible for spending money on treatment and deep cleans, would be willing to pay for XF-73 if it was approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
Derek Butler, chairman of the campaign group MRSA Action, cautiously welcomed the development and called on the Government to provide more funding for research into reducing infections.
He said: "We are interested in anything in the development of cures or treatment for MRSA.
"We need to be careful in saying we have beaten the resistance problem. Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop."
The latest figures from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 1,087 cases of MRSA from October to the end of December last year.
Last September, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that every NHS hospital in England would be deep-cleaned in a bid to tackle bugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
But the programme, which finished in March, came in for criticism from opposition parties, contract cleaners and the NHS Confederation.
© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.
http://itn.co.uk/news/166b582918418108c37d9972dbe5f59c.html
MRSA: UK scientists 'close to a treatment'
By Tom Chivers and agencies
Last Updated: 4:36PM BST 18/05/2008
British scientists believe they are close to a new treatment for the dangerous 'superbug' MRSA.
The new compound, codenamed XF-73, is currently being trialled with a view to developing a product for use in hospitals within three years.
Unlike most anti-MRSA drugs which just prevent the bacterium growing and breeding, XF-73 is intended actually to kill the microbes.
And as studies suggest that MRSA does not develop resistance to the drug, even after repeated exposures, researchers are optimistic that it could hold the key to stamping out the disease.
"If it goes through clinical trials successfully, it really is a completely fundamental breakthrough," said Dr Bill Love, chief executive of pharmaceutical company Destiny Pharma, who are developing the drug, a nasal gel.
"The potential is really quite amazing."
He said he hoped the NHS would be willing to pay for the drug if it was approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the Independent on Sunday reports.
Derek Butler, chairman of the campaign group MRSA Action, cautiously welcomed the development and called on the Government to provide more funding for research into reducing infections.
He said: "We are interested in anything in the development of cures or treatment for MRSA.
"However, we have reservations. I think more tests need to be done on it.
"We need to be careful in saying we have beaten the resistance problem. Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop.
"But it is a good move and we are very hopeful."
A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is interesting research, and we maintain a close watch on these and other emerging findings in the field.
"Reducing healthcare-associated infections is a top priority for the NHS, and we are already seeing significant reductions in healthcare-associated MRSA bloodstream infections, with rates down by 30 per cent compared with the same period last year."
In a statement, Destiny Pharma said: "Destiny Pharma has now completed its Phase I clinical trials and this result is the latest of many which have shown XF-73's high potential."
The firm presented its findings to the European Congress on Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona last month.
XF-73 destroyed the five most common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) in laboratory tests, according to the study.
Five of the most common strains of MRSA were tested against the drug and an antibiotic was used as a control.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1981019/MRSA-UK-scientists-'close-to-a-treatment'.html
James Sturcke
guardian.co.uk,
Sunday May 18 2008
MRSA bacteria magnified x9560 by a scanning electron micrograph. Photograph: Corbis
Campaigners warned against premature celebration today over reports that a new drug designed to eradicate hospital superbugs had put a cure within sight.
Derek Butler, the chairman of the campaign group MRSA Action, cautiously welcomed the development of a drug that is claimed to destroy the five most common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), but said further testing was needed.
"We are interested in anything in the development of cures or treatment for MRSA. However, we have reservations," he said.
"I think more tests need to be done on it. We need to be careful in saying we have beaten the resistance problem. Bacteria have a habit of being able to get round any treatments we develop.
"But it is a good move and we are very hopeful."
The new compound, codenamed XF-73, is being developed by scientists at Destiny Pharma in southern England.
The new drug is designed as a gel to be smeared inside the nostrils to prevent infection. The active compound sticks to MRSA bacteria through "electrostatic binding", destroying cell membranes. Many current MRSA treatments are "bacteriostatic" meaning they prevent the growth of bacteria but do not kill them.
The research was led by Destiny Pharma's chief executive, Dr Bill Love. He said: "We are cautiously optimistic. Our research has been peer reviewed and the compound is currently undergoing tests on people.
"If all goes well it would be a major advance and we hope that in three to four years it might be available to protect against MRSA," Love told guardian.co.uk.
Love added that testing showed XF-73 to be effective after 55 exposures to MRSA, which begins to become resistant to drugs in current use after a handful of exposures.
He told the Independent on Sunday that he hoped NHS strategic health authorities, responsible for spending money on treatment and deep cleans, would be willing to pay for XF-73 if it was approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.
In a statement, the company said: "Destiny Pharma has now completed its phase one clinical trials and this result is the latest of many which have shown XF-73's high potential."
The firm presented its findings to the European congress on clinical microbiology and infectious diseases in Barcelona last month.
A Department of Health spokesman said: "This is interesting research, and we maintain a close watch on these and other emerging findings in the field.
"Reducing healthcare-associated infections is a top priority for the NHS, and we are already seeing significant reductions in healthcare-associated MRSA bloodstream infections, with rates down by 30% compared with the same period last year."
Destiny Pharma said MRSA claims at least 1,600 lives a year in the UK. The company was established in 1997 and XF-73 is its first drug in development, Love said.
The latest figures from the Health Protection Agency showed there were 1,087 cases of MRSA from October to the end of December last year.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/may/18/mrsa.nhs
Scientists 'on brink of cure' for superbug
Simple procedure of placing a gel inside the nose could provide 'major breakthrough' within three years in hospitals' battle against MRSA
By Jane Merrick and Brian Brady
Sunday, 18 May 2008
MRSA: The cure
Scientists may be on the brink of a cure for MRSA, after developing a drug that could be used in hospitals within three years.
A simple procedure of placing a gel inside the nose could hold the key to eradicating the superbug responsible for the deaths of more than 1,600 patients in the UK every year.
A British research firm yesterday claimed that their discovery represented a "major breakthrough" in the battle against MRSA. The firm, Destiny Pharma, is already carrying out human trials on the drug.
The compound, codenamed XF-73, destroys the five most common strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in laboratory tests in a peer-reviewed study. It works in a different way from antibiotics, which are becoming increasingly ineffective, as MRSA builds up resistance to them.
News of the development comes amid renewed controversy over poor standards of cleanliness in hospitals. Yesterday, the parents of a 17-year-old girl said they would sue the "filthy" hospital where she died after contracting the superbug. Samantha Fallon was put on an "overcrowded" general ward at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, where she was being treated for a virus, said Keith and Sue Fallon.
And this week the Government's infections adviser will warn that overprescription of antibiotics by hospitals is causing a rise in superbugs, including MRSA and Clostridium difficile. Professor Mark Wilcox of Leeds University said overuse of antibiotics has led to the increasing resistance of MRSA and C. diff to the drugs.
The new drug, developed by Destiny Pharma, could be crucial in saving lives because MRSA has shown no resistance to it, even after 55 repeat exposures. By 2011, XF-73 could be used to prevent the spread of infection in hospital wards, say researchers. Within six years, they claim, it could routinely cure patients already infected with MRSA.
However, the drug would need to be approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) as it would be likely to cost the NHS millions of pounds. Continuing human trials mean there is a risk that XF-73 could follow other promised treatments that have bitten the dust.
New figures obtained by The Independent on Sunday show that more than a third of new-generation hospitals have failed to meet strict targets for reducing MRSA rates on their wards.
Some 35 out of 83 foundation hospitals admit they have had more cases than expected up to the end of December, despite being ordered by the Government to undertake a "deep clean".
The Health minister, Lord Darzi, who is conducting a review of the NHS, has suggested there should be MRSA-screening of patients undergoing elective surgery to prevent its taking hold in hospitals. While MRSA infection rates have stabilised in the past two years, deaths from C. diff are three times the rate of MRSA and rising.
The new compound works on such bacteria by sticking to them through "electrostatic binding", destroying the cell membrane. Many antibiotics used against MRSA are "bacteriostatic" – which means they merely prevent the growth of bacteria, rather than killing them.
Five of the most common strains of MRSA were tested against the drug. A topical antibiotic was used as a control.
Both XF-73 and the antibiotic were separately exposed to the strains of MRSA 55 times, over as many days. Each time 99 per cent of the bacteria were destroyed, leaving the strongest 1 per cent to survive.
This was allowed to grow again before being exposed to the XF-73 and the control antibiotic. The scientists then measured how much of the drug was needed to kill the same amount of bacteria for each exposure.
Dr Bill Love, chief executive of Destiny Pharma, said XF-73 was crucial in fighting MRSA and could be used against C. diff at some stage.
It would also be more effective than deep-cleaning, because the drug would destroy MRSA carried on and transferred between people, he said. "If it goes through clinical trials successfully, it really is a completely fundamental breakthrough. The potential is really quite amazing.
"We know that bacteria can very rapidly develop resistance to traditional antibiotics. This is the reason why there is a healthcare crisis at the moment."
The work by the Brighton firm was unveiled at the annual European Conference of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona last month.
In human trials, the compound is contained in a tiny amount of gel placed inside the nostril. This would prevent the spread of MRSA in hospitals and in the community. Dr Love said tablet and injection forms of XF-73 could be in use within a few years. He hoped NHS strategic health authorities would be willing to pay for XF-73 if it was approved by Nice, adding: "In terms of impact, it would actually save hospitals money. So it is a no-brainer."
Derek Butler, of the campaign group MRSA Action, welcomed the development. But he said the advance could have been made much earlier if the Government had ploughed more resources into the efforts to reduce infections.
A Department of Health spokesperson said: "This is interesting research, and we maintain a close watch on these and other emerging findings in the field.
"Reducing healthcare-associated infections is a top priority for the NHS, and we are already seeing significant reductions in healthcare-associated MRSA bloodstream infections, with rates down by 30 per cent compared with the same period last year," he said.
'Five years later I'm still in constant pain'
James Wollacott was 19 years old when he damaged his knee ligaments. A keen roller-hockey player, he thought everything would be fine when surgeons at St Mary's Hospital, London, repaired the damage in May 2003. But the wound became infected and when MRSA took hold he nearly lost his life. Five years and several operations later, Mr Wollacott cannot walk any great distance and is in constant pain. He has had to abandon plans to become an electrician. Still fighting for compensation, Mr Wollacott says his life has been ruined: "From the knee down I get excruciating pain. I had always been active and that's what's killing me now – not being able to play sports or run around. I've done nothing for five years. It's driving me crazy. I'm watching my mates play sport and I'm sitting here letting the world go by."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-on-brink-of-cure-for-superbug-830345.html
Schoolgirl dies from MRSA after going into hospital for treatment of simple virus
Last updated at 17:48pm on 16th May 2008
A devastated family today vowed to sue the "filthy" hospital where their beautiful teenage daughter died after contracting the killer MRSA superbug.
A-level student Samantha Fallon, 17, was admitted to hospital suffering from a virus and had a bone marrow sample taken from her hip.
But days later she was crippled with back pain and suffered a series of terrifying fits before eventually succumbing to multiple organ failure.
A-level student Samantha Fallon, 17, was admitted to hospital suffering from a virus but died within a month from MRSA
Parents Keith and Sue Fallon vowed to sue the University Hospital of North Staffordshire claiming Sam was put in an "overcrowded" general ward and not a sterile specialist one due to a lack of beds.
Keith, 42, said: "A vulnerable young girl with a known condition went into the system and didn't come out again.
"At first she was making good progress but then they took a bone marrow sample from her hip, in a crowded general ward, she developed MRSA.
"It was shocking how quickly it struck her down. If we had the money and could have put her in a private hospital she might still be here.
"I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else."
Her mum Sue, who lived with Sam in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs, where she studied photography and media, slammed the "grubby" conditions she stayed in.
In 2006, the hospital was rated eighth worst out of 174 health trusts for its number of MRSA cases - a massive 59 cases in a six-month period.
Sue, 42, who is divorced from Keith, said: "I can only describe the wards Sam was on for the first two weeks before she was diagnosed as filthy.
"I washed her every day. There was a big sticky patch on the floor which never moved and dust and dirt everywhere - it just looked grubby.
"She was later moved to a specialist blood ward, which was spotless, and the doctors said they were getting her condition under control.
"She was starting to eat and put on weight, and was picking up until she got back pain, which was MRSA.
"After that she went really downhill, it was frightening. The next day she was delirious then started having fits and eventually she slipped away.
"She should never have got this infection and if she hadn't I believe she would still be with us. She was a happy, beautiful 17-year-old with everything to live for."
Pretty Sam had an auto-immune liver condition for which she had been taking medication since the age of 12 and was living a normal life.
But she fell ill and went into hospital last month while studying at Newcastle College, near the home she shared with mum Sue and sister Alex, 12.
The death certificate listed Sam's probable cause of death as multi-organ failure, MRSA septicaemia and a viral infection.
Divorced Keith, who lives in Northleach, Glos., who lives with his new partner Francesa, and their toddler Erin, said his daughter was "the life and soul of everything".
He added: "In hospital Sam never mentioned being ill, she was only worried about having to re-take her photography course.
"She was very artistic and stylish and extremely popular. We were best friends and she came to Northleach quite a lot.
"She made friends almost the moment she got here, and was so well-liked and loved. We'll miss her so much. She was the life and soul of everything."
There were 71 MRSA cases at the hospital in the year ending this March, compared with 100 the previous year, and 118 the year before.
A hospital spokesman said: "It would be inappropriate for us to discuss the circumstances at this stage."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=566850&in_page_id=1770
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The Royal County Hospital is the first hospital to use the new procedure of prescription only cannulae, and has reduced its MRSA bacteraemia infection rate to zero in the last six months. It’s a simple technique that is helping to save lives, cannulae are only used when absolutely necessary, and when they are used they are strictly monitored.
Nearly 5,000 cases were reported last year, and if the Winchester procedure was mirrored nationally then infections would be reduced by a third that’s 1,770 fewer cases. Derek Butler who travelled 200 miles to see the procedure said
“If this hospital can do it there is no reason why other hospitals can do it, and the government should support this hospital and shout it from the rooftops”
Mary Stanley reports
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From The Times
May 8, 2008
New rules cut MRSA cases at the Royal Hampshire
Nigel Hawkes
WINCHESTER Tougher rules on the use of intravenous fluid tubes have been shown to cut the incidence of MRSA infections
No new cases of MRSA have been reported at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester and the Andover War Memorial Hospital since last November when the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust introduced the new rules.
Since then use of cannulae has had to be authorised by a specialist and signed off by a doctor to ensure that they are used only when absolutely necessary. Once in place, the tubes are flushed with a saline solution and inspected daily.
In 2007-08 the Trust had 11 MRSA bloodstream infections - one under the maximum level that the Government says is acceptable for a trust of its size. Four of the cases were believed to have been cannula-related. The trust believes that if the same practice were adopted nationwide by the NHS, MRSA levels would fall sharply.
Sister Rachel Wright, who worked with Dr Gordon to implement the changes, said: “It just illustrates that simple measures, when strictly followed, can work.”
Derek Butler, chair of MRSA Action UK , welcomed the new practice and called for it be taken up by other trusts around the country.
He said: “It is an excellent step forward, a big improvement. I applaud what they are doing and I would like to see it rolled out nationally.”
Cannulation involves a needle being used to insert a tiny, flexible plastic sheath under the skin.
The needle is then removed and the medicine or fluids can be introduced through the sheath, which remains just under the skin.
Previously, patients who were likely to need IV fluids or drugs in this way were given a cannula as a routine part of their medical care. As well as its new cannulation procedures, the trust is implementing hand hygiene audits and deep cleaning as ordered by the NHS.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3897596.ece
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