Two babies die at Glasgow hospital from killer bug found only in China and Germany

The rare bacterial infection Staphylococcus aureus affected infants at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital.

Health chiefs vowed to continue screening for the infection, which is spread by body contact.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said the rare strain of Staphylococcus aureus that affected infants had never been seen in the UK before.

Two premature babies died following the infection, and another became ill.

A fourth baby was treated for the infection, and another four infants had the bacteria on their skin but did not require treatment.

Charity SANDS (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) attended a meeting with the health board at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

BABY DEATHS

Campaigner for SANDS, Jean Anne Mitchell, said: "I'm absolutely shocked and horrified to find that babies in our neonatal units are dying of Staphylococcus, which is a bloodstream infection caused by body to body contact.

"When you have more than one baby that has died… one baby is one baby too much.

"Parents cannot move forward.

"There must be an audit trail of staff who dealt with these babies.

"Staff are going from unit to unit to cover gaps.

"We must get answers and we must be accountable.

"If my baby was being cared for in a neonatal unit I would expect that everything was being done to make my baby better and not for someone to not have done something to give my baby the best chance to survive.

"I was horrified to hear that the comment from NHSGGC that you were going to have to speak to visitors coming to unit.

"Parents who are already suffering, the last thing they want to know is that they may have done something to cause this."

 

Dr Jennifer Armstrong, Medical Director of NHSGGC said: "This has been a challenging infection to bring under control.

"For this particular strain, it was the first time it has been seen in the UK.

"We worked very closely with England and that does mean screening all parents, all staff and all visitors who come into the unit.

"It's been a very, very robust process "We are still screening babies and we will continue to do so until we are absolutely certain that it is out of our hospitals."



 

Source: Read Full Article