In Scotland in some 56 cases, MRSA killed the patient and in 174 it was a contributory cause. The toll varied between different hospitals, with 14 deaths at Ninewells in Dundee and 13 at Stobhill in Glasgow. Patient groups said the figures were worrying but not surprising. Back in 1996 doctors certifying deaths noted MRSA as a factor on just 34 occasions. It is understood greater awareness among health professionals of the condition has led to the rise since then.

Dr Jean Turner, a former GP who now serves as executive director of the Scotland Patients' Association, said she believed the number who lose their lives to the superbug may still be under-reported. "I think there is a danger we still do not know the extent of it yet," she said. I know everyone is working hard, but I think there is a way to go."

MRSA is a type of bacterium - Staphylococcus aureus (SA) - which is carried on the surface of the skin by around a third of the population. It begins to cause problems when it breaks into the body, with surgical wounds and entry points for tubes and catheters presenting a particular problem.

Straightforward SA infections can be treated with antibiotics but the bacteria has mutated, becoming resistant to such treatments, creating the MRSA superbug which is much harder to fight.

Dr Turner said, despite the high profile of the infection, she believed people still did not understand the role they could play in combating the problem. The number of patients diagnosed with an MRSA infection in Scottish hospitals has been falling slowly for some 15 months. New data, released this week, showed the fifth consecutive drop between April and June this year, when the number of cases fell to 185, compared to 197 for the previous three months.


BASF and the first antimicrobial plastic
BASF antimicrobial material contains silver compounds that are incorporated into the plastic in order to impart its surface with a germicidal effect. Interesting areas of application for this material are not only hand dryers, soap dispensers or entire sanitary units in public washroom facilities, but also other products that come into contact with bacteria and other microorganisms and that need to be sterile such as, for instance, hospital beds, medical treatment chairs or computer keyboards in public offices.

The combination with the classic ASA properties such as weathering resistance, high thermal-ageing stability, good chemical resistance and outstanding surface quality yields a new material with an extraordinary property profile.


Sources:http://www.theherald.co.uk
http://www.luran-s.com