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Blackburn baby unit superbug spotted by ‘vigilance’ (From Blackburn Citizen)
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Blackburn baby unit superbug spotted by ‘vigilance’
5:21pm Monday 28th September 2009
HEALTH bosses have said how ‘constant vigilance’ helped them identify a superbug in the neonatal intensive care baby unit.
Seven children contracted MSSA – methicillin sensitive staphylococcus aureus – at Blackburn Royal Hospital, leading to admissions being limited.
MSSA is bacteria found commonly on the skin and can be treated with anti-biotics. If it turns into an infection in the bloodstream it can cause serious illness.
The babies have the bacteria on their skin – but it is not in their blood-streams, and none are currently ill, according to hospital chiefs.
They are being treated in isolation and may remain in hospital for several weeks to ensure they are free of the bacteria.
Rineke Schram, director of infection control for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said the superbug had been caught at a very early stage thanks to the hospital’s screening processes.
Beverley Aspin, lead infec-tion prevention and control matron, said the hospitals employed a huge range of infection control procedures.
She said: “Hand washing is only the first line of defence.
“Bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, and reproduce very quickly, so can still linger undetected on soft furnishings and clothing.”
Measures include: l Screening patients for MSSA in advance of planned operations, and prescribing antibacterial wash to use if necessasry in the days before the operation; l Isolating in-patients found with a resistant organism or potential infection to prevent its spread; l Ensuring staff are fully trained in a non-touch tech-nique to reduce the risk of acquiring infections; l Insisting staff adhere to the ‘bare below the elbows’ protocol, meaning they can decontaminate hands effect-ively and prevent micro-organisms passing from one person or surface to another.
Ms Aspin said: “Any area which is known to have had an infection-causing bacteria is deep-cleaned.
“This means it is emptied, with all hard surfaces cleaned with anti-bacterial agents.”
Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action UK, advises patients and families who have experienced superbugs such as MSSA and MRSA.
And the 54-year-old from Kirkham said MSSA can be lethal if it enters the bloodstream.
He said: “With these babies the doctors and nurses in Blackburn now have to be very careful.
“If they are infected with it on their skin and then are given intravenous treatment this will increase the risk.
“I am sure these doctors and nurses will be highly- trained and will follow these procedures but everybody needs to know MSSA can be contracted in a number of ways.”
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Your Say YourCitizen
Mikeee47, Padiham says...
9:24am Tue 29 Sep 09
How hard is it to make someone wash their hands before being Buzzed onto the ward, all the doors are locked and you have to be buzzed in, the CCTV cam on the door can clearly see the hand soap dispenser, No hand washing No Admittance, how simple is it??????
Mikeee47, Padiham says...
9:28am Tue 29 Sep 09
cutthebull, Blackburn says...
10:21pm Tue 29 Sep 09
Mikeee47 wrote:If only joe public accept this! I've personally seen visitors asked by staff & them being met by abuse, & unfortunately staff are not in a position to start refusing, arguing and start guarding enterances to make sure visitors wash their hands, the public need to take responsibility! Infection control doesn't help all the alcohol gels on the Walls, visitors think this is a subsitute for washing hands when the only way to kill infection is good old soap & water! But realistically what can the staff do if people refuse to wash there hands? If they refuse them access to their child/ relative/friend they'll prob be in breech of the visitors human rights!
Ps..... we can challenge the nurses and Doctors, to ask them to wash their hands before we are cared for in hospital, the Doctors & nurses should also excersise the same.
Neil Docking, Blackburn says...
4:13pm Tue 6 Oct 09
While MSSA can cause very severe and serious illness it would appear it is not technically a superbug. However, there are accounts of people who contract MSSA and cannot be treated successfully with anti-biotics such as methycllin and it is commonly (though perhaps inaccurately) referred to as a strain of the superbug MRSA.
I would like to point out that we do not intentionally rely on 'sensationalist buzz words' and always endeavour to report honestly and without bias. If a genuine mistake is made we will seek to rectify that mistake.
Thank you
mazx4, blackburn says...
10:34pm Tue 6 Oct 09
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JohnR1, Darwen says...
10:23pm Mon 28 Sep 09