A major study designed to establish accurate figures on methicillin resistant staph aureus (MRSA) and other hospital infections is starting in the Republic's acute hospitals this week.Infection control
The Prevalence of Healthcare Associated Infections 2006 will be the first extensive survey of hospital- acquired infection in the State, researchers claim.
The study, covering hospitals in the UK and the Republic, is being carried out by the Hospital Infection Society (HIS) in conjunction with the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). The HIS is a UK-based body representing microbiologists, infection control nurses and other health professionals in Britain and the Republic.
The survey will measure the point prevalence of hospital- acquired infections such as MRSA, clostridium difficile and norovirus (the vomiting bug). The point prevalence of a disease gives a snapshot view of the number of people with a disease at a fixed point in time, which researchers say will result in the most accurate estimate of healthcare associated infections (HCAI) in the State.
A HCAI is an infection picked up by a patient 48 hours or more after admission to hospital.
A study in 1993, which included just seven hospitals in the Republic, found an MRSA prevalence of 11 per cent. The current research will target 43 acute hospitals here and will include all adult wards in hospitals with more than 50 beds. Hospitals without infection control personnel will be excluded.
Figures obtained by The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act last year found that some 6,000 patients in more than 30 hospitals were infected by MRSA.
There are two types of MRSA infection: infection on the skin when a patient is referred to as being "colonised" by the bug, but is in fact not ill from it; and bloodstream infections which result from the bug invading the body through a wound.
The HCAI prevalence survey 2006, co-ordinated by Dr Fidelma Fitzpatrick of the HPSC, is led by Dr Robert Cunney, consultant microbiologist at the HPSC, and Prof Hilary Humphreys, professor of microbiology at RCSI and Beaumont Hospital. It will not measure MRSA colonisation; to be counted as a positive MRSA case, patients must have a post- operative wound infected with MRSA and be clinically unwell as a result.
Hospital infection control staff and data collectors from the Health Service Executive will check patient case notes, nursing notes and drug charts to estimate the prevalence of hospital- acquired infection on each ward in a 24-hour period. Patients will not have to undergo additional blood tests or X-rays as part of the research, which has been approved by the Data Commissioner.
The survey will also measure the prevalence of hospital-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infections and wound infections. Dr Cunney said each participating hospital would get its own data and would be able to compare it with other hospitals.
According to Prof Humphreys: "Surveillance is meaningless unless action is taken. The results from this survey will result in actions at local hospital and national level that need to be introduced to reduce healthcare associated infection here."