A consultant microbiologist at St Michael's Hospital in south Dublin has told an inquest that 10 per cent of patients there carry MRSA.
Dr Mary Crowe told Dublin County Coroner's Court yesterday that "at least" 10 patients at the 100-bed facility would be "colonised" with MRSA, which means it is present on their skin. MRSA colonisation does not always lead to MRSA infection.
Dr Crowe made her comments at an inquest into the death of Vincent Treanor (90), of Sandycove, south Dublin, who died on July 22nd, 2006, from MRSA septicaemia at the Dún Laoghaire hospital. Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty recorded a verdict of death by hospital-acquired infection. It was only the third inquest held in Ireland where MRSA was cited as the main cause of death by a coroner.
Dr Crowe said the hospital placed patients who tested positive for MRSA in single and cohabiting isolation rooms but "like every hospital" more facilities would be welcomed. "We're making do with the best we have at the moment," she added.
Mr Treanor's wife Nuala and daughter Barbara Ennis raised concerns at the inquest at the hospital's hygiene standards when dealing with MRSA-infected patients. "I saw a woman refuse to put on gloves when she was handing out Communion in an isolation room. There was no nurse there to say she was not allowed to do that," Mrs Treanor said.
Ms Ennis praised the medical staff at the hospital but suggested they were "over-stretched" and could not always ensure that strict hygiene guidelines to stop the spread of infection were being adhered to.
"My concern is for the future. We have a very high rate of MRSA compared with other countries," she told the court. She recalled seeing an MRSA patient who was supposed to be in an isolation room being wheeled in the hospital's corridors by a relative. Dr Joe Barry, involved in Mr Treanor's care at the hospital, said this "would not be permitted" under guidelines for patients in isolation. Ms Ennis also said she saw visitors in the isolation rooms not wearing the necessary protective gowns.
Dr Barry told the inquest that hospital staff were "very much aware" of the importance of infection control policies. "We're forever under pressure from the infectious control team in relation to hand-washing and other things," he said.
Dr Barry agreed that MRSA was the main cause of Mr Treanor's death but added that pre-existing heart disease and Alzheimer's disease were contributory factors. Mr Treanor was admitted on May 11th with chest pain. He tested positive for MRSA in a swab on July 5th that developed into MRSA septicaemia.