Concerns over bacteria levels at Portiuncula

Inspectors are concerned at the high incidence of bacterial infection at Portiuncula Hospital, which can result in devastating illness for patients.

An unannounced inspection of the Ballinasloe hospital recorded high levels of clostridium difficile compared with other hospitals and the ‘desirable’ Health Service Executive level for bacterial infection.

Health Information and Quality Authority inspectors were told that the incidence of C. Diff in the fourth quarter of last year was 6.7 cases per 10,000 bed days used.

The desirable HSE level is 2.5 cases per 10,000 bed days. The overall infection rate in 2015 was 4.8 per 10,000 bed days.

HIQA said it is concerned that the latest data shows the infection rate “remains high at 4.7 cases per 10,000 bed days”.

The HIQA report into the hospital, said: “Clostridium difficile infection can have serious outcomes for patients that may result in devastating illness or death, and increased length of hospital stay. The ongoing high rates of Clostridium difficile infection in the hospital highlights the difficulty in managing the problem once it emerges in a hospital setting.

“In light of persistent problems being experienced, the hospital needs to fully investigate its approach to antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control including the necessity for more effective decontamination of patient equipment and the environment.”

Inspectors found the Maternity Department was “generally clean” – however, there were exceptions.

“In the Maternity Department red stains were observed on several surfaces in a delivery room including the foot rests of a patient bed, on the inside of a press and a drawer containing sterile supplies and on a sharps bin bracket attached to a dressing trolley,” the report said.

It recommended the “hospital should evaluate cleaning frequencies to ensure that they are sufficient.”

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.