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Deadly superbug spreads throughout Canadian hospitals

Patient Safety Monitor Alert, February 9, 2005

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Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has increased more than tenfold in Canadian hospitals over the past decade, according to a National Post article.

The antibiotic-resistant superbug causes up to 1,000 deaths each year and costs hospitals $100 million per year, according to a new federal report.

The Canadian Public Health Agency issued its report based on the results of a national surveillance program that tracked the microbe in 38 hospitals across Canada. The prevalence of MRSA increased from .46 per 1,000 hospital admissions in 1995 to 5.1 in 2003. The rate of patients who got infections increased more than six-fold to 1.61 per 1,000.

"It's certainly disconcerting," said Andrew Simor, MD, an author of the report and head of infection control at Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. "That's a pretty substantial increase."

Simor said that most of the cases are preventable by establishing stronger infection-fighting measures in hospitals. But without adequate government funding, it's difficult to obtain the resources needed to battle the superbug.

Based on the recent rates of the bacteria, MRSA costs the Canadian healthcare system about $100 million per year.

"The continued spread of MRSA poses a significant risk to patients and contributes a financial burden on healthcare resources," according to the report, which urges hospitals to make prevention of hospital-acquired infections a patient safety priority.

To read the National Post article, click here.

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