Healthcare Concerns

Archive for June, 2011

An outbreak of E. coli in Germany linked to contaminated imported vegetables, has caused at least 14 deaths and hundreds of infections.

E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. It is a type of bacteria present in the gut of humans and other animals. Most strains are harmless but some are able to produce a toxin that can cause symptoms such as severe cramps and diarrhoea.

The outbreak in Germany is causing severe infections, affecting the blood, kidneys and sometimes the central nervous system.

The condition – haemolytic uraemic syndrome – is an unusual complication of some types of E. coli as well as other infections.

Symptoms include bloody diarrhoea, kidney failure and epileptic fits.

The strain suspected is O104, which is rare.

Another serious strain – known as O157 – causes similar symptoms, and has been associated with E. coli outbreaks from the 1980s onward.

The source of this outbreak is believed to be contaminated vegetables.

German officials claim some organic cucumbers imported from Spain have been found to be carrying the bacteria but said on Tuesday that it may be from a different strain.

While E. coli infection is often caused by eating undercooked meat and eggs, there has been a recent rise in cases linked with fresh fruit and vegetables.

They include foods that are eaten raw or only lightly cooked, such as salads, fresh fruit and bean sprouts.

German authorities have warned people to avoid eating raw cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce.

The Food Standards Agency says there is no evidence that any affected cucumbers have been imported into the UK.

But it has issued general advice to wash fruit and vegetables.

The agency said: "It's a good idea to wash fruit and vegetables before you eat them to ensure that they are clean, and to help remove germs that might be on the outside.

"Peeling or cooking fruit and vegetables can also remove these germs."

However, a Scottish expert said new research suggests washing alone may not be enough, as the bacteria may be inside the food.

Dr Nicola Holden of The James Hutton Institute said: "The bacteria are able to get from animal sources on to crops through different routes, most likely in irrigation water or sometimes from slurry spraying, while some contamination can also occur during processing and packaging."

She said the bacteria can colonise plant roots, moving up to the edible foliage or fruits.

"The threat to human health occurs because these bacteria are not simply sitting on the surface of the plant and are particularly difficult to remove post-harvest," she added.

Professor Brendan Wren from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said E. coli can attach to the surface of fresh produce such as lettuce leaves, spinach leaves and cucumber.

"These type of E.coli survive harsher environmental conditions than the typical E. coli and produce some nasty toxins to humans," he said.

"They can survive in soil environments and fertiliser may be one source for the origin of the outbreak related to fresh produce such as cucumbers."

Dr Jonathan Fletcher, senior lecturer in microbiology at the University of Bradford, said toxin-producing E. coli can cause very serious disease in humans, especially in the elderly or very young.

Cattle seem to carry the toxin in their gut, he added, without showing signs of illness, and it will be shed in the faeces.

"If cattle manure is used as a fertiliser, it is probable that vegetables such as cucumbers will be contaminated with E. coli, and if not washed properly it would be present in sufficient numbers to cause the infection."

Originally Published On: www.bbc.co.uk – Original Article Here

Two NHS trusts have been criticised for failing to meet basic standards of care for the elderly.

Some patients missed a meal because they did not want what was offered.

It also said some people were helped with eating, but others had to wait more than half an hour to be helped.

A spokeswoman for St Helens and Knowsley said: "The Care Quality Commission report looked at some nursing practices on two wards and found no major concerns with the care provided.

"The report highlighted that patients' privacy, dignity and independence were respected.

"The trust had already introduced measures to further meet the nutritional needs of patients and following this report has put into practice additional improvements.

"The trust remains committed to ensuring that patients receive the highest standard of care and an excellent experience."

In Barnsley, inspectors found there were many examples of good practice, but not all patients who needed help with eating got it and staff were unsure which patients had specific needs.

At meal times, "none of the tables were cleaned before or after the meal and one patient had an empty urine bottle placed on their table alongside their meal during lunch".

Juliette Greenwood, chief nurse at Barnsley Hospital, said: "It was disappointing to learn that our standards around the nutritional needs of patients during the spot checks were not as high as we expect them to be.

"I am very sorry to those patients we let down but want to assure them that our services are considered safe by the CQC and these spot checks do not reflect the overall care and treatment we provide."

Two trusts were told to maintain their standards – St George's Healthcare NHS Trust in south London and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The 10 trusts that met all the standards were: University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust, Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Kingston Hospital NHS Trust, Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust and York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Originally Published On: www.bbc.co.uk – Original Article Here