Plagues, Pestilences and Diseases
Mon Jan 03 2011
Canada: Hamilton Hospital reports 12th C.difficile Superbug
related death
Another patient with C. difficile at St. Joseph’s hospital has
died, bringing the number of deaths during the current outbreak to
12.
While there were no new cases to report Monday, and the hospital
believes the situation is improving, the death comes on the heels
of the death of a 91-year-old woman on Thursday. Only one death so
far has been directly attributed to C. diff, but eight remain
under investigation.
The total number of C. diff cases rose to 83 late last week — 51
cases in which the infection was acquired at the hospital and 32
who came in with it.
Hospital president Dr. David Higgins said Friday there has been a
dramatic reduction in cases over the last month.
The outbreak was declared on Nov. 1 after individual cases of C.
diff were noted in October.
C. diff is an infection causing severe diarrhea, nausea and
painful cramping and can result in serious complications and
death. Hospitals normally have about five C. diff cases per month.
In 2008, Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in Burlington had a large
outbreak in which 91 infected patients died.
St. Joseph’s Hospital has implemented new procedures to stem the
outbreak and had a special provincial team review its methods and
make other recommendations.
The Hamilton Spectator