There are currently three confirmed cases of the super-bug “Carbapenemase Producing Enterobacteriaceae” (CPE), now confirmed at University Hospital Limerick (U.H.L.), with all necessary infection control measures now in place to manage the outbreak.
CPE bacteria are the newest in a long line of super-bug bacteria, which remain the hardest to eliminate even with carbapenem antibiotics; latter a class of highly effective antibiotic agents commonly used for the treatment of severe or high-risk bacterial infections and considered the drugs of last resort for the CPE bacteria.
Visitor Restrictions
To this end strict visitor restrictions have been put in place daily from 2.00pm to 4.00pm and from 6.00pm to 9.00pm at this main medical facility, serving the population of the North Tipperary area. Only one visitor per patient will now be allowed and strictly no admission to visiting children will be permitted.
CPE bacteria are becoming more and more common all over the world, especially in hospital venues, and significant volumes of patients will now require complete isolation at this already overcrowded training University Hospital Limerick facility.
Ireland has seen an increase in the number of cases year on year, with the number of cases almost doubling in 2016.
As we go to print, some 43 patients are on waiting on hospital trolleys at UHL, while awaiting a bed. The spread of this super-bug in University Hospital Limerick could lead to the closure of even further beds, wards and even whole units, which in a worst scenario could reduce the hospital’s ability to admit further patients; provide essential services and increase numbers to already rapidly increasing patient statistics.
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