Tayside health chiefs have ruled out an outbreak of potentially deadly Clostridium difficile in hospital wards after a rise in “severe” cases of the infection.
Papers from a recent meeting of the NHS Tayside Board revealed how serious cases of the bug had risen earlier this year.
The increase included instances in which the infection was recorded as a contributory factor in the death of a patient.
But at the time, nurse director Dr Margaret McGuire stressed that there was no connection between the cases and that they were not part of an outbreak or cluster of any kind.
However, each case was being reviewed by the health board and Health Protection Scotland was informed.
Outbreaks of C. diff at hospitals in Scotland have proven deadly in the past. Scotland’s worst outbreak happened between 2007 and 2008 at the Vale of Leven hospital in
Dunbartonshire — where it contributed to the deaths of 34 people.
A health service spokeswoman said: “NHS Tayside infection control and antimicrobial teams continue to work to reduce the number of healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) using a range of methods including strict control of antibiotic prescribing and adherence to infection control protocols including hand hygiene.
“The number of new cases of C. difficile is relatively stable and NHS Tayside is determined to keep learning from experiences both in our hospitals and elsewhere in an effort to do everything we possibly can to reduce HAI infections.”
A subsequent report from NHS Tayside also explained that the overall number of cases had not shown any significant increase, but that those cases being recorded had been examples of a more severe strain of the bug.
Much like E. coli, C. diff manifests in any one of a number of strands of varying severity. It is sometimes acquired within a hospital, but is most often carried unknowingly by members of the public, who would not ordinarily suffer any adverse effects to their health.
However, it often severely impacts those with conditions which render their immune systems vulnerable, which is why it tends to thrive in hospitals.
NHS Tayside also stressed that although total rates of C. diff are already very low, they are improving, and set to meet Scottish Government targets.