Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals has seen a substantial reduction in the number of patients developing clostridium difficile (C.Diff) infection for the second year in a row.
Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, the Trust has reduced cases of the potentially serious infection by 19% in comparison to the year before, representing a 40% reduction since March 2015 . In the allotted 12-month period, just 26 cases were reported against a Department of Health target of 40, a significant improvement over the past number of years.
Clostridium difficile, also known as C. difficile or C.Diff, is a type of bacteria that infects the bowel and most commonly affects people who have recently been treated with antibiotics. The infection is highly contagious, unpleasant and, if left untreated, can be fatal.
The reduction, spearheaded by both clinical and medical staff, is due to a number of factors such as increased awareness of the infection amongst the workforce, better antimicrobial stewardship and training, improved cleanliness and an increased emphasis on monitoring patients susceptible to the bug.
Improvements have also been made when C.Diff is identified. The Trust’s isolation policy has gotten better, with infected rooms and wards cleared and ‘fogged’ with hydrogen peroxide destroying any spores, making it safe for patients to safely inhabit the area again without fear of infection.
Dr Ken Agwuh, Director of Infection and Control at the Trust, said: “Ensuring our patients are safe while they are in our care is a top priority, and improving our infection control measures is a crucial step in this process. We are very pleased to see such reduction in clostridium difficile for the second year in a row at the Trust and this represents the fantastic improvements we’ve made as a team for the benefit of our patients.
“I want to thank every member of staff for their contribution in tackling this infection and also for their dedication to improving the quality of care we offer our patients. Our challenge now is to ensure that we once again build on this achievement and deliver another reduction for the third year in a row.”
Between four and eight per cent of people carry the C. Difficile bacteria naturally and harmlessly in their gut flora. The balance between the gut’s good and bad bacteria can be upset with prolonged use of broad spectrum antibiotics.