The number of deaths where people were suffering from C difficile at the time has risen by 28% in England and Wales, according to new figures.
A total of 8,324 death certificates mentioned the infection in 2007, compared with 6,480 the previous year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
In some of these cases the deaths may have been caused by other factors, but the patient was also infected with C difficile.
The number of reported deaths involving the infection has more than doubled since 2005, when there were 3,757 mentions on death certificates.
Some of this may be due to more complete reporting on death certificates, the ONS said.
The number of death certificates that mentioned MRSA decreased from 1,652 in 2006 to 1,593 in 2007.
This is the first time the number of MRSA-related deaths has fallen since the ONS records began in 1993.
Professor Brian Duerden, inspector of microbiology and infection control, said: “Patients have a right to high quality, safe care. We take this very seriously, which is why we have made infection prevention and control a legal requirement and a number one priority for the NHS.”
Copyright PA Business 2008
