Patients not being told they have MRSA

PATIENTS are still being sent home from hospital without being told they have contracted MRSA and other potentially lethal hospital bugs.

A conference heard doctors are failing to report all deaths directly or partly caused by MRSA, despite it being a notifiable disease.

The result, the Clean Hospitals Summit heard, is the extent of hospital-acquired infection in Ireland is unknown and the 592 cases reported last year could be the tip of the iceberg.

Health Minister Mary Harney told the conference she knew of a case where a patient found out he had MRSA when a cleaner warned a family member not to enter his room because he had “the bug”.

“It’s important patients are informed if they acquire an infection in a hospital setting. That does not happen in all cases,” the minister said.

“Patients should be told as a matter of normal courtesy, never mind their rights.”

She said there was a “long way to go” to reduce the incidence of infections. She stressed the importance of reducing antibiotic use for minor ailments to prevent serious infections building up resistance, and said hospitals should review visiting hours to ensure patients were not overly exposed to dirt and bugs from outside.

She urged healthcare staff and the public to abide by the simple rules of hand washing and basic hygiene practices when attending healthcare facilities.

Coroner for Co Kildare, Professor Denis Cusack, said fear of being sued may be discouraging some doctors from reporting hospital infections as the main or contributory cause of death in patients under their care.

He said he had introduced the policy in his own district that all such deaths be reported to him so he could investigate and decide if an inquest was needed.

Founder of the MRSA and Families Network, Margaret Dawson, urged greater precision in the tracking and recording of hospital infections. Ms Dawson, who has cared for her husband Joe for three years since he contracted MRSA in hospital, highlighted the failure to notify patients of their condition and the lack of support in the community for those rendered long-term ill because of infections.