Setback in battle against MRSA
- Published: 24 April 2008 10:36
- Author: Steve Ford
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- Last Updated: 24 April 2008 10:36
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Latest figures show that MRSA infections have increased across the NHS.
The Health Protection Agency's figures from October to December last year show the number of cases has increased by 0.6% on the previous quarter.
Dr Georgia Duckworth, head of the HPA's healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance department, expressed disappointment with the figures.
'Over the last year cases of MRSA bloodstream infection have been steadily falling,' she said. 'We would obviously like to have seen the trend continue in this quarter and hope that ongoing surveillance will show that this plateau is not indicative of a levelling trend, but we need to see next quarter's figures.'
The latest figures on MRSA bloodstream infections show that there were 1,087 cases reported in England during the October to December quarter of 2007 – up by seven cases.
Dr Duckworth said that the latest figures indicated a 'plateau' and they were not necessarily a cause for alarm.
The latest Clostridium difficile figures show that there were just under 10,000 cases reported in patients under 65 between October and December 2007 – an 8% reduction from the previous quarter.
