10.04.19
Third premature baby dies after contracting rare hospital infection in Glasgow
A third premature baby has died after contracting a rare blood infection at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital in Glasgow.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC) said the child was extremely poorly at the time of birth, and that the infection Staphylococcus aureus was one of a number of factors in the death.
This follows the deaths of two new-born babies in the neonatal unit in January at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital after they contracted the same blood stream infection.
The trust said the two babies were “extremely poorly due to their very early birth” and sadly passed away, with the infection one of a number of contributing causes in both deaths.
It was revealed then that a third premature baby had tested positive for the blood stream infection and required treatment, but was in a stable condition.
An incident management team was set up to investigate the incident.
The NHS GGC health board said: “As previously reported, we have been rigorously managing a number of cases of a rare Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infection in extremely premature babies in the neonatal unit of the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital.
“Three babies, who were extremely poorly due to their very early birth, sadly died and infection was one of a number of contributing causes in their deaths.”
In its statement, the health board said this was an “extremely rare strain which is highly resistant to the two antibiotics normally prescribed for S. Aureus,” and the standard skin cleaning agent used in hospitals.
It said no further patients have tested positive for the infection, and a number of infection control measures have been taken to respond to the strain of Staphylococcus aureus such as prescribing different antibiotics and introducing a new skin cleaning agent.
Glasgow has been hit with a number of infection-control incidents in recent months, with Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman recently announcing a review of the city’s flagship Queen Elizabeth University Hospital following the outbreak of an infection linked to pigeon droppings.