England C diff dip "inaccurate" MRSA plateau "no cause for alarm":
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Provisional UK data on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile healthcare-associated bloodstream infections in the last quarter of 2007 show a 0.6% increase and 8% fall, respectively, on the previous quarter. The HPA has dismissed the "plateau" in reducing the incidence of MRSA in England - 1,087 compared with 1,080 during July-September - as falling within reasonable limits and "no cause for alarm". Of the C diff figures - 9,872 (from 10,751) cases aged over 64 years and 2,211 (from 2,507) in the 2-64 age range - the agency acknowledged that they are probably inaccurate, as the data were collected during the transition of refinements to the reporting system. The next quarterly figures, due to be published in July, should prove more meaningful; the HPA is also scheduled to publish final annual statistics for 2007.