C. difficile outbreak declared in Canada

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Bill Marler

There is another outbreak of the Clostridium difficile bacterial infection at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.  Six months ago, the Vancouver Island Health Authority confirmed an end to an earlier C. difficile outbreak that began in July 2008. That outbreak affected nearly 100 patients and was directly responsible for five deaths.

Dr. Martin Wale, medical director for infection prevention and control, said C. difficile cases are again higher than expected at the Nanaimo hospital.

From mid-October to mid-November, NRGH saw 11 cases of C. difficile, well above the expected average of five patients with C. difficile at any one time.  As of Tuesday, Wale said there are seven patients in isolation at NRGH with the infection, adding that two patients acquired the infection from the community.  The health authority’s outbreak protocol requires enhanced cleaning, including a top-to-bottom cleaning of the entire hospital and more powerful cleaning chemicals.

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C. Diff Claims the Lives of Two Elderly Scottish Patients

Posted on May 14, 2009 by C. difficile Attorney

The BBC is reporting that two elderly patients suffering from Clostridium difficile  have died at Dr. Grey's hospital in Moray, Scotland.

Six other patients at the hospital have contracted Clostridium difficile.  Additionally, a higher than usual number of patients are suffering from gastrointestinal illnesses.

An outbreak control team has been set up.

The health board said the deaths happened in April and that both the patients had been frail.

A spokesman said the infection was the main cause of death in one of the patients and was a contributory factor in the second death. 

More information is in the BBC article.

 

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Outbreak of C. difficile claims 10 lives in Canada

Posted on November 2, 2006 by C. difficile Attorney

An outbreak of C. difficile at a Quebec hospital in St-Hyacinthe has killed another person, bringing the death toll to 10 since the bacteria emerged at the health centre in July.

A total of 25 people have been infected with C. difficile, which causes severe diarrhea, at the Centre hospitalier Honoré-Mercier in St-Hyacinthe, an agricultural town southeast of Montreal.

The hospital announced in late October that it had introduced several measures to contain the infection, including restricted visiting rules and a massive disinfection campaign.

More information can be found in this article.

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