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Home News Centre National Press Releases 2009 Press Releases ›  Clostridium difficile infections continue to fall
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Clostridium difficile infections continue to fall

16 April 2009

Latest reported C. difficile figures show that between October to December 2008 there were 6,257 cases recorded in patients aged 65 years and over.


This represents a fall of 11% in this age group from the previous quarter, July to September 2008, when the total was 7,062.

This also represents a fall of 38% from the same quarter in 2007 when 10,012 cases were recorded in patients aged 65 years and over, between October and December.

A Spokesperson from the Health Protection Agency said:

"Cases of C. difficile have fallen again this quarter demonstrating how hard NHS staff are working to fight healthcare associated infections. However, to see ongoing reductions and to win the fight against C. difficile we cannot afford to take our eyes off the ball; winning the fight will only happen with continued dedication and hard work.

"Healthcare associated infections are a global problem and remain a challenge for all of us. Robust infection control and appropriate use of antibiotics remain key to tackling infections such as C. difficile.

"It is important to remember that some healthcare associated infections can arise as the result of the treatment of other life-threatening infections, and as such, can be difficult to avoid. The use of antibiotics in patients who are very sick can leave people susceptible to C. difficile which would normally be easily kept at bay in healthy people.

"However, this shouldn't lead to complacency around tackling the infections that are preventable and engaging in the battle to continually drive down rates of healthcare associated infections."

Ends

Notes to editors

Quarterly reports of C. difficile infections are summarised below. Please note since April 2007 the HPA has collected C. difficile specimens from patients aged 2 years and over as demonstrated in the table below:

Quarter Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged 2-64 years Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥65 years Number of C. difficile reports in patients aged ≥2 years
January – March 2006 - 15,349 -
April – June 2006 - 14,689 -
July – September 2006 - 12,821 -
October – December 2006 - 12,776 -
January – March 2007 - 15,644 -
April – June 2007 2,940 13,925 16,865
July – September 2007 2,534 10,885 13,419
October – December 2007 2,236 10,012 12,248
January – March 2008 2,349 10,618 12,967
April – June 2008 2,192 8,691 10,883
July – September 2008 1,886 7,062 8,948
October – December 2008 1,649 6,257 7,906

 

The Health Protection Agency publishes mandatory surveillance data for C. difficile infections in a quarterly format. This quarter the HPA is presenting C. difficile cases at Primary Care Organisation level as well as at acute Trust level.

Reports of C. difficile infections for individual Primary Care Organisations and Trusts are available at:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&Page&HPAwebAutoListName/Page/1191942126522?p=1191942126522

For further information on this press release please contact the Health Protection Agency's Centre for Infections press office on:

Georgina Fletcher 020 8327 6690
Kate Swan 020 8327 7097
Louise Brown 020 8327 7080
Alex Baker 020 8327 7098
David Daley 020 8327 6647

Last reviewed: 16 April 2009