Health Protection Agency Publishes Quarterly Clostridium Difficile And MRSA Figures, UK

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 06 May 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency show there were 55,681 cases of Clostridium difficile infection reported in patients aged 65 years and above in England in 2006. This represents an annual increase in reported infections of 8% compared to 2005, when there were 51,767 cases reported. Rates of infection remain high across England , particularly in small acute trusts, and the results show clearly the scope for improvement. This contrasts favourably with the 17% increase in reported cases between 2004 and 2005.

The latest MRSA bloodstream infection figures, also released today, show that there were 1,542 cases reported in England from October 2006 to December 2006, down 7% on the previous quarter (July 2006 to September 2006), when there were 1,652 reported cases of bloodstream infections caused by MRSA.

In January, the Agency started publishing quarterly figures for the mandatory surveillance of MRSA bloodstream infections and Clostridium difficile disease . The Agency will continue to report these figures on a quarterly basis as part of our commitment to support hospitals so that they can gauge their efforts in reducing infections. Both sets of figures released today cover the October to December quarter for 2006. This quarter completes the year for Clostridium difficile figures, but the annual figures will not be available for MRSA bloodstream infections until July. This discrepancy arises as the surveillance started at different times for these infections - January for Clostridium difficile and April for MRSA bloodstream infections.

Dr Georgia Duckworth , head of the Agency's Healthcare Associated Infection & Antimicrobial Resistance Department, said: "We are publishing these quarterly figures to give Trusts more timely feedback on their individual situation and progress alongside other Trusts. However it is important that provisional figures like these are interpreted with caution, as numbers can fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Longer periods are needed to assess whether the trend in the number of infections is rising or falling.

"Although the annual figures for Clostridium difficile infections indicate a slowing down, numbers are still very high. Figures for MRSA bloodstream infections have been showing a decrease. We are awaiting the annual figures to confirm this is being sustained."

1. The HPA is publishing mandatory surveillance data in a quarterly format, with an annual Healthcare Associated Infection report once a year. The next set of quarterly data will be published in July 2007, and the next annual report on HCAI surveillance will be published in October 2007.

2. Quarterly data is provisional and therefore subject to change as more up to date information is received.

3. Clostridium difficile figures - a summary of cases reported under mandatory surveillance in those aged 65 and older in England . (The mandatory surveillance focuses on the over-65s as the majority of infections occur in this age group). The quarter reported today completes the 2006 annual figures for Clostridium difficile as this surveillance operates on a January-December timescale.

January - March 2006
Number of reports 15,335

April - June 2006
Number of reports 14,694

July - September 2006
Number of reports 12,838

October - December 2006
Number of reports 12,814

4. Reports of Clostridium difficile infection for individual Trusts are available here.

5. MRSA figures (6 monthly) - a summary of cases reported under mandatory surveillance in England

April - September 2001
Number of reports 3,620

October 2001 - March 2002
Number of reports 3,671

April - September 2002
Number of reports 3,612

October 2002 - March 2003
Number of reports 3,814

April - September 2003
Number of reports 3,745

October 2003 - March 2004
Number of reports 3,955

April - September 2004
Number of reports 3,548

October 2004 - March 2005
Number of reports 3,685

April - September 2005
Number of reports 3,570

October 2005 - March 2006
Number of reports 3,525

April - September 2006
Number of reports 3,393

October - December 2006
Number of reports 1,542

6. MRSA figures (quarterly) - a summary of cases reported under mandatory surveillance in England

April - June 2006
Number of reports 1741

July - September 2006
Number of reports 1652

October - December 2006
Number of reports 1542

7. Reports of MRSA bloodstream infections for individual Trusts are available here.

Health Protection Agency

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