Materia Medica Malaysiana

Lifting the lid on hospital infections

Every year, Malaysians are dying from hospital infections, including the superbug MRSA. But just how many, no one knows.
The Health Ministry will soon begin a study to determine how many people in hospital for treatment die of infections contracted there.
Between 0.5 and 0.6 per cent of patients here come down with hospital infections every year.
In Britain, about 5,000 patients a year die from "methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus" or MRSA.
Dr Kalsom Mas Kon, a deputy director with the ministry, said hospitals submitted monthly data on MRSA but there were no details on the number of people who died of the infection. Many patients who contracted infections in hospital died of septicaemia or pneumonia.
Statistics in 2002 show that septicaemia is the highest cause of death in hospitals nationwide, followed by heart disease and cancer. Of the 35,904 patients who died of medical causes in 2002, some 15 per cent died of septicaemia and another five per cent pneumonia.
Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia microbiologist and infection control consultant Associate Professor Dr Nordiah Awang Jalil said at least 200 of the 80,000 patients admitted to hospitals nationwide every month were infected with MRSA.
An estimated 20 to 40 per cent of people carry Staphylococcus aureus, mostly in the nose or on the skin. It is relatively harmless, although it can cause boils or other minor infections.
What was of real concern, she said, was that some strains were now resistant to penicillin. This is because the bacterium has "learnt" to make an enzyme called beta- lactamase, which degrades penicillin and destroys its anti-bacterial activity.
"There is a need to create awareness on the importance of reducing the number of MRSA cases in hospitals because MRSA is resistant to many antibiotics."
She said those at risk of MRSA included patients warded for more than a week and those admitted to the intensive care unit.
To prevent the spread of MRSA, Dr Nordiah said hospital staff should wear gloves and disposable gowns prior to physical contact with MRSA patients. Before leaving the room, they should discard these safely, and wash their hands using anti-bacterial soap and disposable towels.