News.Scotland.Org

October, 24

Can you imagine deaths occurring due to the apathy of hospitals in Scotland? This growing trend is making the life of people restless. It is known that the rate of death caused by the hospital superbug Clostridium difficile is rising rapidly day by day in Scotland. The main reason behind the spread of this killer bug is said to be the low standard of hygiene in the hospitals. About 164 people succumbed last year to the bug, pointing out the poor cleanliness in the hospital wards. It is innocent people who are paying off for the severe irregularity of the hospitals in Scotland.

According to Dr Ian Gould, a consultant microbiologist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, “There definitely is a real increase in the virulence of some strains. Dealing with C difficile is complicated, but much of it is the same as with MRSA. We are trying to improve the use of antibiotics to control the infection. “We need to improve hand hygiene and the hygiene of healthcare staff. We also need to look at bed occupancy and the space between beds to stop it spreading.

The C difficile is highly contagious and if not treated in the right time can cause diarrhea and can also result more fatal giving threat to the frail and elderly. Looking to figures which shows, the deaths caused by this bug has grown rapidly in comparison with last year. The figures revealed by Health Protection Scotland showed that about 6000 cases of C difficile associated disease has been traced this year in people over 65 years of age. Slowly it had taken a massive shape infecting people not only in Scotland, but during the year 2005 there were 2074 such cases in England and Wales related to C difficle.

These deaths have raised a question in the mind of people whether to go or not to go to these hospital’s where there lives are not safe. With such a silent stand by hospitals on the hygiene facilities its really very sad approach by them for the patients health. The hospital management should look at all aspects and make sure the patient is under safe hands and in a safe environment.

The health spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, Mary Scanlon said these deaths have raised an alarm for all. She added now ” A hospital has become a hazardous place as opposed to a hygienic place for care and treatment, and patients are now more worried about getting these infections than they are about having surgery.”

Now the bug has even made the Scottish government to think seriously on the issue and make sure the situation don’t gets more severe. The hospitals should also come forward and upgrade there hygienic standards to make hospital a place to cure ailments and not a place to serve ailments.

What is C difficle?

C difficile is a spore forming bacteria which can be part of the normal intestinal flora in as many as 50% of children under age two, and less frequently in individuals over two years of age. C. difficile is the major cause of pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic associated diarrhoea.