NHS Dumfries and Galloway’s infection control committee and healthcare governance committee (HCGC) were alarmed to learn that the number of bloodstream infections – known as SABs (staphylococcus aureus bacteremia) – have gone through the roof.
The set limit for SABs for the whole of 2022/23 was 14, yet the number recorded was 18 in the first six months alone.
The number of e-coli bacterial infections has an exceedance limit of 41 cases in 2022/23, but had already reached 40 by September this year.
“We recorded 40, but I already know that we are beyond that by this stage,” said Ross Darley, the region’s infection prevention and control manager.
Mr Darley presented a report at last week’s health board meeting to update members on infection control stats for the first half of 2022/23, and insisted that numerous healthcare teams are working in partnership to try and lower the high infection rates.
Some of the causes listed in the report were the use of invasive devices, such as catheters, on patients, as well as lower UTIs (urinary tract infections).
Health board chairman Nick Morris queried the e-coli figures for September as there were six cases linked to lower UTIs, yet none the previous month.
He said: “It seems quite odd that you would get a big bunch of lower UTIs one month, but none the previous month.
“I’d expect a more random pattern across all sorts of sites. Is it possible that’s a data input issue?”
Ross Darley replied: “We are very robust in our assessment of the cause, and in September we did have a higher rate than we would expect to see with lower UTIs.
“What the causation of that is is very difficult to ascertain, but I’m confident that will be correct data.”
The report tabled at the health board meeting underlined the concern from the ICC and HCGC, and members from both committees put the problems down to “continued system pressure” within hospitals and care homes.
Meanwhile, the number of clostridioides difficile cases are on trajectory to meet the exceedance limit.
The target is for no more than 31 c-diff cases in 2022/23, and there are currently 17 cases for the first six months of the year.
