Bacterial Infections - MRSA, VRE, C. Diff

Patient safety is a priority at Middlesex Hospital Alliance (MHA).

Infection Control

MHA's infection control initiatives are effective.

Below are the MHA rates for the Hospital-Acquired Infections:

C.Difficile
MRSA
VRE

Hospital-Acquired Infection Rates

C.Difficle (Clostridium difficile) is a bacteria. C.difficile can be part of the normal bacteria in the large intestine and is one of the many bacteria that can be found in stool (a bowel movement). For more information, see the link below.

C.difficile rates for Four Counties Health Services

FCHS	Nov 2011	Dec 2011	Jan 2012	Feb 2012
Number of new cases of C.difficile	0	0	0
C.difficile Rate	0.00	0.00	0.00

C.difficile rates for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital

SMGH	Nov 2011	Dec 2011	Jan 2012	Feb 2012
Number of new cases of C.difficile	1	1	0
C.difficile Rate	0.65	0.72	0.00

C.difficle rate:
The C.difficile infection rate is calculated as a rate per 1,000 patient days.
The "total patient days" represents the sum of the number of days during which services were provided to all inpatients during the given time period.

The rate is calculated as follows:
Number of new hospital acquire cases of C.Difficile in our facility x 1000
Total number of patient days (for one month)

N.B. The smaller the hospital, such as SMGH and FCHS, the greater the rates will vary, from month to month, because a change in even one case in a small facility will cause the rate to go up or down considerably

The Ministry of Health & Long Term Care requires that any number of cases under 5 be reported as "less than 5" - whether there is one or four cases.

For more information about C. Difficile, click on the link below:

C.Difficile - Clostridium Difficile

MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

Staphylococcus aureus is a germ that lives on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy people. Occasionally, S. aureus can cause an infection. When S. aureus develops resistance to certain antibiotics, it is called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA (for more information, see the link below).

MRSA rates for Four Counties Health Services

FCHS	Jan - Mar 2011	Apr - Jun 2011	Jul - Sept 2011	Oct - Dec 2011
Number of new cases of MRSA	0	0	0	1
MRSA Rate	0.00	0.00	0.00	1.02

MRSA rates for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital

SMGH	Jan - Mar 2011	Apr - Jun 2011	Jul - Sept 2011	Oct - Dec 2011
Number of new cases of MRSA	0	0	0	1
MRSA Rate	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.23

The rate is calculated as follows:

The total number of new cases of MRSA bacteraemia acquired in the hospital in a quarter is divided by the total number of patient days for that quarter. Patient days are the number of days spent in a hospital for all patients. The results are multiplied by 1000. This represents the rate of hospital acquired MRSA bacteraemia associated with the reporting facility per 1000 patient days for that quarter. (for example, two cases for a quarter ÷ 30,000 patient days for that quarter = 0.00006 x 1000 = 0.06 per 1000 patient days). The rates of infection will be calculated by quarter.

For more information about MRSA, click on the link below:

MRSA - Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus

VRE (Vancomycin-resistant enterococci)

Enterococci are germs that live in the bowels of most individuals and generally do not cause harm. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are types of enterococci that are not killed by the antibiotic vancomycin. VRE is spread from one person to another by contact, usually on the hands of caregivers. VRE can be present on the caregiver's hands from touching articles soiled by feces. VRE can survive for weeks on inanimate objects such as toilet seats, door handles and bedrails. VRE is easy to kill with the proper use of disinfectants and good hand hygiene (for more information, see the link below).

VRE rates for Four Counties Health Services

FCHS	Jan - Mar 2011	Apr - Jun 2011	Jul - Sept 2011	Oct - Dec 2011
Number of new cases of VRE	0	0	0	0
VRE Rate	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

VRE rates for Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital

SMGH	Jan - Mar 2011	Apr - Jun 2011	Jul - Sept 2011	Oct - Dec 2011
Number of new cases of VRE	0	0	0	0
VRE Rate	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

The rate is calculated as follows:

The total number of new cases of VRE bacteraemia acquired in the hospital in a quarter is divided by the total number of patient days for that quarter. Patient days are the number of days spent in a hospital for all patients. The results are multiplied by 1000. This represents the rate of hospital acquired VRE bacteraemia associated with the reporting facility per 1000 patient days for that quarter. (for example, two cases for that quarter ÷ 30,000 patient days for that quarter = 0.00006 x 1000 = 0.06 per 1000 patient days). The rates of infection will be calculated by quarter.

For more information about VRE, click on the links below:

VRE - Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci

To see other Ontario hospital infection rates, you may visit the Ministry web site at www.ontario.ca/patientsafety

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Bacterial Infections - MRSA, VRE, C. Diff