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Two babies in Leeds care unit diagnosed with MRSA
TWO babies were diagnosed with the superbug MRSA in an outbreak at a Leeds special care unit.
It has emerged the babies, who were being cared for at the neonatal unit at St James's Hospital, were affected in early October. One of them tested positive for the bacteria twice.
A Leeds Hospitals Trust spokesman said their parents were told and the babies were treated and moved into isolation. Both were still being cared for on the unit.
He added: "Other babies on the unit were screened as a precaution and a root cause analysis carried out to try to identify any possible source of the infection."
The latest cases follow two previous outbreaks at a special care baby unit at Leeds Infirmary, one last January and another in October last year. In the first, six newborns tested positive for the bug with one infected and the others carrying it on their skin.
A few months later, five babies were found to have MRSA – one in their bloodstream. The latest outbreak was revealed by bosses at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as they discussed work being done to prevent healthcare associated infections, including MRSA and Clostridium difficile (C.diff).
Last year, the trust was criticised for its poor record on tackling MRSA but cases fell significantly earlier this year. However, they rose sharply in October, from five in September to 23 the next month.
Chief nurse Ruth Holt told the meeting that screening for MRSA was about to start for certain patients. Hospital chiefs were told the testing would cost around 436,000 to set up and 678,500 to run in the first year. Some money would be recouped as Bradford hospitals were to pay Leeds to do 50,000 screens a year.
Cases of C.diff are also above target with 561 between April and October rather than 416. Isolation wards have been created at both major Leeds hospitals for patients with the infection.
The Department of Health also visited Leeds in September to look at their work in tackling C.diff and found that although there were positive aspects improvements were needed, including better cleanliness and zero-tolerance of hospital bugs.
In a report, Ms Holt acknowledged that "significant changes" were needed to meet the target for reducing MRSA and C.diff.
l Were any relatives of yours affected by the latest MRSA outbreak among newborns?
Call Katie Baldwin on 0113 238 8465.
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
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