28/08/2008

Rise In C Diff-Related Deaths

The number of deaths involving the hospital bug Clostridium difficile in England and Wales rose sharply between 2006 and 2007, new figures show.

According to the report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), C difficile was mentioned on 8,324 death certificates in 2007 compared to 6,480 in the previous year - a rise of 28%.

Some experts contend that the increase may be due, in part, to better reporting of the infection.

The report also showed that deaths from the superbug MRSA fell slightly over the same period.

It went down from 1,652 in 2006 to 1,593 in 2007 - the first time the number of MRSA-related deaths has fallen since the ONS began keeping records in 1993.

Back in 2005, the government called for more accurate reporting of MRSA and C difficile on death certificates.

The following year saw the number of cases where C difficile was mentioned as a factor in a death soar by 72%.

(NS/JM)

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