A new deadly strain of the hospital superbug Clostridium Difficile (C diff), which claims the lives of one in every twelve patients infected, has broken out in Irish hospital, an inquest has heard.

The new virulent strain is of huge concern for hospitals across the country, a consultant respiratory physician at a Dublin hospital told Dublin County Coroners Court yesterday. The 027 strain of C diff, which has been "noted" in Irish hospitals in the past six months, is more toxic than other strains of the infection, consultant respiratory physician at St Michael's Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, Dr Tim McDonnell, told the court.

"C diff is a particular problem as hand-washing is not effective in preventing it. You've got to be meticulously clean and it's a huge focus in hospitals", said Dr McDonnell. Dr McDonnell said anyone is susceptible to the infection, including young, healthy individuals. He said that a number of years ago, one of his own registrars contracted the strain.

Dr McDonnell was giving evidence at the Dublin County Coroners Court, which heard inquests into the deaths of five patients who contracted either MRSA or C diff while they were in hospital.

The coroner's court heard yesterday that the deaths of two of the patients, Christopher Lawlor from Clondalkin and Sarah Leonard from Killiney, were directly related to MRSA infection.

Consultant microbiologist at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, Dr Anne Gilleese, told an inquest into the death of Mr Lawlor (76) that he had picked up the MRSA infection while a patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) at the hospital.

Mr Lawlor, who was admitted to the hospital on March 28, 2007, with a range of medical problems, including cardiac problems, type-2 diabnetes and obstructive airway disease, was admitted to ICU on April 03rd. He was discharged back to the ward 3 days later. He died on April 13th.

Dr Gilleese said she believed Mr Lawlor picked up the infection in the ICU s he did not have the condition upon entering ICU the first time. Despite having MRSA, Mr Lawlor was admitted to the main ICU unit the second time and not put in isolation because there was no isolation room for him, the court heard.

Meanwhile, Sarah Leonard died at St Colmcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, on February 07, 2007, from bronchiectasis with MRSA infection. 
The coroner returned a verdict of hospital acquired infection in both cases.

Hospital manager at St Colmcille's Hospital, Tom Mernath, told the court that HSE funding is to be made available to appoint a consultant microbiologist at the hospital.

He was responding to concerns raised by coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty that there is a far greater incidence of MRSA and C diff at the Loughlinstown hospital in comparison to other hospitals under his jurisdiction.

If you or your loved one have been affected by MRSA, please go to the MRSA and Families website for further information.

For legal advice, please contact Malcomson Law by calling 01 8744422 or complete an Online Enquiry Form. A solicitor who specialises in MRSA and Medical Negligence will contact you to advise you of your legal rights and entitlements.

This news section contains stories of interest from publicly available news sources. Where we are representing the clients referred to in the news material we will say so. Where we do not represent individuals or bodies mentioned or quoted, the inclusion of the news story in our news section is not intended nor should it be taken to imply that we act for the individual or body concerned.