Four patient deaths linked to infection

FOUR patients are now believed to have died after contracting Clostridium difficile (C diff) in a major acute hospital in Co Louth, it has emerged.

The Health Service Executive said 13 patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda had C diff and a further 20 were showing symptoms of the disease.

The health authority said it was not clear whether the hospital-acquired infection was linked to the deaths of the four patients over the past three weeks.

The HSE has notified the coroner to confirm whether C diff was an underlying cause of their deaths, or a contributory factor.

“In consultation with the Louth County Coroner our clinical director has agreed that all deaths occurring at the hospital during the escalation phase of the outbreak will be notified to the coroner as a matter of routine,” a HSE spokeswoman said.

“To date, four deaths have been notified to the coroner,” she pointed out.

The hospital that treats patients from Louth, Meath and north Dublin has closed 77 beds and all planned surgery has been cancelled.

C diff infections are usually caused by antibiotics, making hospitals susceptible to infection. Symptoms include diarrhoea and fever. Those most at risk are older people with a serious underlying illness.

Most people make a full recovery but in rare cases it can be fatal.

The HSE said strenuous steps were being taken by Our Lady of Lourdes to manage the infection.

As well as intense cleaning, the importance of hand hygiene was being stressed as it was the single most effective defence against the spread of the infection. Patients at the hospital are being encouraged to ask healthcare workers if they have cleaned their hands before treating them.

In order to relieve pressure on the hospital GPs and ambulance services are to refer patients to other hospitals in the region.

People are also being asked to only attend the hospital’s emergency department in the case of a genuine emergency and to contact their GP or out of hours service first.

The hospital has also imposed visiting restrictions and those allowed into the hospital are being told to clean and disinfect their hands before and after their visits.