Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3244853

Two C. diff outbreaks nearly over ? but not St. Catharines'
By Grant LaFleche, Standard Staff
Updated 3 hours ago

Two of the three C. difficile outbreaks in Niagara are on the verge of being declared over, said the interm CEO of the Niagara Health System.

At a press briefing Thursday, Sue Matthews said the number of C. difficile cases at the Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls and the Welland hospital are returning to normal.

"We're very close to our baseline (numbers of C. difficile cases) in those hospitals," Matthews said. "Technically, we could declare them over. But at this point, we are being cautious and remaining in outbreak status until we stay at or are below our baseline numbers."

The NHS cannot say, however, when the outbreak at the St. Catharines General Hospital could end.

Although the caseload growth appears to have stabilized this week, there was also another new hospital-acquired case.

That means the outbreak cannot be declared over for at least another 30 days. Along with the new case, the NHS reported new patient deaths this week...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/1053120--c-dif-outbreak-in-welland-declared-over

* Aug 05, 2011 - 2:07 PM

C. dif outbreak in Welland declared over

After six weeks and five deaths the C. difficile outbreak at the Welland Hospital has been declared over by the Niagara Health System.
Originally declared on June 23, alongside an outbreak at the Greater Niagara General Hospital and an earlier outbreak declared on May 28 at the St. Catharines General, has seen 15 cases declared at the Welland Hospital. The NHS announced on Friday that efforts in stemming the spread of the infection have been successful at the Welland site...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3256418

C. difficile numbers rise at Welland hospital
By Maryanne Firth, QMI Agency
Posted 3 hours ago

WELLAND ? Though the Clostridium difficile outbreak at Welland hospital was declared over, the number of inpatient cases continues to rise.

Since Wednesday, the number of inpatient cases has increased to nine from five. That includes one patient transfer from Port Colborne hospital, one relapsing in-hospital case and three community-acquired cases.

Because only one of the four cases was hospital-associated from Welland, the hospital does not meet the criteria for another outbreak to be declared, Niagara Health System acting chief of staff Dr. Joanna Hope tsaid in an e-mail...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...-control-of-niagara-hospitals/article2130348/

Queen?s Park moves to take control of Niagara hospitals
CARYS MILLS
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Published Monday, Aug. 15, 2011 5:46PM EDT
Last updated Monday, Aug. 15, 2011 9:33PM EDT

The Ontario government is taking control of the Niagara hospital network, which is at the centre of controversy over a deadly superbug outbreak and its restructuring.

?This has been an accumulation of issues that have arisen over the past many, many months, if not years,? Health Minister Deb Matthews said after she announced on Monday that she has recommended to cabinet that a supervisor be appointed for the Niagara Health System...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1527016

2 more C.difficile cases in Falls
Siobhan Morris, 610 CKTB News
8/23/2011

There are 2 more patients with C.difficile at the Greater Niagara General Hospital in the Falls.

The Niagara Health System says one is hospital-associated. The other is a patient with a history of C.difficile.

C.difficile numbers at St. Catharines & Welland hospital sites were steady from Monday to Tuesday...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?id=1530289

C. difficile death at Greater Niagara General Hospital
Stephanie Sabourin, 610 CKTB News
8/30/2011


Another patient at the Greater Niagara General Hospital has died, tied to the C difficile outbreaks in Niagara.

The Niagara Health System says the elderly patient with hospital associated C difficile passed away Sunday...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1532184

Minor changes in local C.difficile numbers
Siobhan Morris, 610 CKTB News
9/2/2011

...In Niagara Falls, there is 1 more community-acquired case of C.difficile at the Greater Niagara General Hospital.

9 C.difficile patients are in isolation at the GNGH. A C.difficile outbreak there was called June 23rd & includes 17 cases to date, including 4 deaths.

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3287188

Health system declares outbreak of C. diff at GNGH to be over
By COREY LAROCQUE Review Staff Writer, Niagara Falls Review
Posted 57 minutes ago

As the Niagara Health System declares an end to an outbreak of C. difficile that claimed the lives of four patients at Greater Niagara General Hospital this year, hospital officials vowed to continue the "vigilance" needed to end a similar situation in St. Catharines...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1558408

Hotel Dieu declares C. difficle outbreak
Stephanie Sabourin, 610 CKTB News
10/19/2011

Another C. difficile outbreak has been declared in St. Catharines.

The Hotel Dieu Shaver health and Rehabilitation Centre putting outbreak procedures in place after two patients tested positive for the superbug...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1559039

Hotel Dieu's C.difficile toll up
Siobhan Morris, 610 CKTB News
10/20/2011

The number of patients in an outbreak of C.difficile at Hotel Dieu Shaver Rehab Centre is up.

4 cases are now linked to the outbreak called Wednesday.

There are 2 patients in isolation at the independently-run St. Catharines facility.

C.difficile was confirmed in another patient overnight & that patient was transferred to a Niagara Health System hospital to be treated for other health issues...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.610cktb.com/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1565609

Hotel Dieu's C.difficile case count up
Siobhan Morris, 610 CKTB News
11/2/2011

The number of cases linked to an outbreak of C.difficile at Hotel Dieu Shaver Rehab Centre is up.

The St. Catharines facility has added 2 cases, bringing its total to 6.

But after a meeting with Niagara Public Health, Hotel Dieu doesn't think the additions are new cases.

Liz Pearson, Manager of Infection Prevention & Control at Hotel Dieu says patients likely had C.difficile at the start of the outbreak but didn't show symptoms right away...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3355773

Hotel Dieu staffer contracts C. difficle
By Grant LaFleche
Posted 11 hours ago

Ontario's Ministry of Labour gave the Hotel Dieu Shaver Rehabilitation Centre's outbreak protocols a clean bill of health Wednesday after a staff member contracted C. difficile.

The ministry found no problems with the rehab centre's outbreak control methods and the staffer is recovering at home, said Hotel Dieu Shaver's infection control manager, Liz Pearson...

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Second death in Hotel Dieu C. diff outbreak

By Grant LaFleche Standard Staff

Posted 1 day ago

A second C. difficile patient from Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre has died.

The rehab centre said the patient, who had been at Hotel Dieu since late September, passed away Monday after being transferred to a Niagara Health System hospital.

Hotel Dieu's vice-president of clinical services, Carol Bergeron, said Wednesday that the elderly woman first showed signs of C. difficile infection while at the rehab centre.

"This is very distressing for us," said Bergeron, who added that staff had already spoken to the patient's family. "We get to know our patients very well, so it's painful when something like this happens."

The woman was the second patient associated with the outbreak, which was declared on Oct. 19, to pass away. The other patient died in October after having been transferred to an NHS hospital.

More...
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3372109

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

C. diff is back in Niagara — Falls hospital outbreak declared

Eight non-hospital acquired cases in St. Catharines

By Grant LaFleche, Standard Staff

Posted 3 hours ago

For just over a month, the Niagara Health System has breathed a little easier. Whatever else might be happening, its managers could at least say they were no longer dealing with an outbreak of C. difficile.
Until yesterday, that is.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the NHS declared an outbreak in one wing of the Greater Niagara General Hospital in Niagara Falls. It's the first time the NHS has dealt with a Clostridium difficile outbreak since the one at the St. Catharines General Hospital ended Oct. 24.

The last series of outbreaks that hit hospitals in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland, lasted nearly five months and saw 102 people suffer from hospital-acquired infections. Thirty-seven of those patients died, and in seven of those cases C. difficile was deemed the principal cause of death.

On Wednesday, vice-president of patient services Kim Stephens-Woods said there are three patients in unit D, which has about 30 beds, of the Niagara Falls facility with hospital-acquired C. difficile, meaning they are believed to have become infected with the bacteria while in hospital.
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At the St. Catharines General Hospital, there are no hospital-acquired C. difficile cases. However, there are eight patients suffering from community-acquired infections they are believed to have contracted outside the hospital.

Stephens-Woods said the NHS has noticed an increase in C. difficile cases in the community, although the reason why is not clear. Clostridium difficile is not a seasonal illness, although the winter brings in more patients suffering from pneumonia and other related problems that are treated by antibiotics.

Full text:
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3397013

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Another C. diff case at Niagara Falls hospital

By Niagara Falls Review
Updated 20 hours ago

After declaring a C. difficile outbreak at the Greater Niagara General Hospital Wednesday, the Niagara Health System said it's working hard to keep the problem from spreading. However, a fourth patient has tested positive.

On Wednesday, the NHS said three patients had confirmed positive for hospital-associated C. difficile on Unit D in the previous week. Under newly-established infection prevention and control protocols, that meant the Unit D was considered to be at the threshold required for an outbreak to be declared.

One of those patients was released and then readmitted Thursday, and a fourth patient also confirmed positive, confirmed NHS public affairs consultant Caroline Bourque Wiley.

More...
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/Ar...902&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

NHS investigates ?breach? of outbreak protocol at GNGH

BULLET NEWS

NIAGARA FALLS ? Niagara Health System officials have investigated and corrected what they describe as a ?breach? in their protocol for isolating patients during a C. difficile outbreak.

NHS president and chief executive officer Sue Matthews said Monday two patients at Greater Niagara General hospital were mistakenly placed in the same room as two other patients with diarrhea.
...
As diarrhea can be a sign of an active C. difficile infection, grouping together patients with diarrhea with those who do not have it is ?inconsistent with NHS policy and practice and was inappropriate.?
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The latest C. difficile outbreak at GNGH was declared on Dec. 7.

The outbreak is localized on the hospital?s inpatient medical Unit D.

As of Monday afternoon, the total number of C. difficile cases at GNGH associated with outbreak was six. That?s an increase of two since Friday.

Four patients remain in hospital. All patients are curretly in single rooms with contact precautions and extra cleaning measures in place, NHS officials say.

Full text:
http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/2011/12/13/nhs-investigates-breach-of-outbreak-protocol-at-gngh/

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

OUTBREAK UPDATE: C. difficile case count up at Greater Niagara General hospital

Bullet News

NIAGARA FALLS ? The number of C. difficile cases associated with an outbreak at Greater Niagara General hospital stands at seven.

That?s up one from Thursday.

In their daily update, NHS officials said Friday there are a total of 19 C. difficile cases at GNGH, including 11 hospital-associated cases and eight community-acquired cases.

Only seven of the cases, however, are directly related to the outbreak declared on Dec. 7.

More...
http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/201...count-up-at-greater-niagara-general-hospital/

 

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Re: Ontario: C. diff outbreaks at the Greater Niagara General Hospital, Welland General Hospital and the Hotel Dieu Shaver rehabilitation centre

Source: http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3410046

St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Region, Sun Media

C. diff patient dies in Niagara Falls hospital
By Brett Clarkson, QMI Agency
Posted 2 hours ago

A patient at Greater Niagara General Hospital has died after testing positive for a C. difficile infection.

The patient, who was in Unit D of the hospital, died Sunday, the Niagara Health System confirmed.

"It's a very difficult time for the family and the loved ones of the patient, so I want to express condolences on behalf of the Niagara Health System for their loss," said spokeswoman Caroline Bourque-Wiley, adding the patient was elderly and was dealing with multiple serious health issues. In a press release issued Monday afternoon, the NHS said the patient tested positive for hospital-associated Clostridium difficile.

Bourque-Wiley said the death has been reported to the coroner and will be reviewed by NHS chief of staff Dr. Joanna Hope to determine the role C. difficile played in the death, if any.

Unit D at GNGH is where a new C. difficile outbreak was declared Dec. 7.

As of Monday, there were 20 cases of C. difficile at GNGH, 12 of them hospital-associated and eight community-acquired. There were seven determined to be outbreak-related cases...