Eight children have so far become infected by pseudomonas aeruginosa (potentially deadly bacteria) over the past eight weeks while at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at a the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland. Doctors are still trying to find out where the strain came from. Three of the children had become infected a few weeks ago and are not in hospital any more.
The unit will carry on admitting emergency patients, but has been closed to elective surgeries.
According to the hospital, all the five children who are still in hospital are responding well to antibiotic medication – they expect two of them will be moved out of intensive care tomorrow.
According to the hospital, comprehensive measures are being taken by the its infection control team, including disinfecting taps, work surfaces, trolleys and other equipment.
The hospital also informs that due to the difference in strains, its infection control team is treating the current situation as a cluster of cases.
Dr Bob Masterton, Consultant Microbiologist, said that no other part of the hospital is affected.
— News release from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
Written by: Christian Nordqvist