Korle-Bu Children's Emergency Ward Closed, Monday, January 30, 2012, pg 3
THE Children Emergency Ward of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has been closed down indefinitely, following the outbreak of a bacterial infection known as Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in the ward.
Authorities of the hospital told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that so far five cases had been diagnosed among children on admission at the ward for which they were being treated.
The MRSA is a type of "staph" bacteria which is resistant to many antibiotics.
The staph bacteria, like other kinds of bacteria, normally live on the skin and in the nose, usually without causing problems.
However, MRSA infections are more difficult to treat than ordinary staph infections because the strains of the MRSA do not respond well to many common antibiotics used to kill bacteria.
Experts say when methicillin and other antibiotics do not kill the bacteria causing an infection, it becomes harder to get rid of that infection.
The MRSA, like all staph bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through casual contact or contaminated objects. It is commonly spread from the hands of someone who has the MRSA.
But speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the KBTH, Mr Mustapha Salifu, said the hospital was "screening both patients and staff in the affected area to ensure that they are free of the infection".
The infection, he stated, had not spread to other parts of the hospital.
"The closure is to enable the hospital to clean and disinfect the ward to rid it of the bacteria," he stated.
Mr Salifu said the re-opening of the ward would be announced as soon as the problem was solved.
While urging people who required paediatric emergency services to receive medical attention at other hospitals and clinics within the metropolis, he also advised other medical facilities to stop referring patients to the ward and endeavour to manage them at their facilities.
He, however, stated that the hospital's consultants would be available to provide telephonic consultation for colleagues in other hospitals who might need their assistance on: 0307060114, 0307060177 or 0307060142.
The MRSA bacteria are more likely to develop when antibiotics are used too often or are not used correctly. Given enough time, bacteria can change, so that these antibiotics no longer work well.
Symptoms of MRSA infection depend on where the infection is. If the MRSA is causing an infection in a wound, that area of the skin may be red or tender. If the affected person has pneumonia, it may develop into a cough.
Community-associated MRSA commonly causes skin infections, such as boils, abscesses or cellulitis. Often, people think they have been bitten by a spider or insect. Because MRSA infections can become serious in a short time, medical experts warn that it is important to see a doctor right away if one you notices a boil or other skin problem.
Authorities of the hospital told the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday that so far five cases had been diagnosed among children on admission at the ward for which they were being treated.
The MRSA is a type of "staph" bacteria which is resistant to many antibiotics.
The staph bacteria, like other kinds of bacteria, normally live on the skin and in the nose, usually without causing problems.
However, MRSA infections are more difficult to treat than ordinary staph infections because the strains of the MRSA do not respond well to many common antibiotics used to kill bacteria.
Experts say when methicillin and other antibiotics do not kill the bacteria causing an infection, it becomes harder to get rid of that infection.
The MRSA, like all staph bacteria, can be spread from one person to another through casual contact or contaminated objects. It is commonly spread from the hands of someone who has the MRSA.
But speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the KBTH, Mr Mustapha Salifu, said the hospital was "screening both patients and staff in the affected area to ensure that they are free of the infection".
The infection, he stated, had not spread to other parts of the hospital.
"The closure is to enable the hospital to clean and disinfect the ward to rid it of the bacteria," he stated.
Mr Salifu said the re-opening of the ward would be announced as soon as the problem was solved.
While urging people who required paediatric emergency services to receive medical attention at other hospitals and clinics within the metropolis, he also advised other medical facilities to stop referring patients to the ward and endeavour to manage them at their facilities.
He, however, stated that the hospital's consultants would be available to provide telephonic consultation for colleagues in other hospitals who might need their assistance on: 0307060114, 0307060177 or 0307060142.
The MRSA bacteria are more likely to develop when antibiotics are used too often or are not used correctly. Given enough time, bacteria can change, so that these antibiotics no longer work well.
Symptoms of MRSA infection depend on where the infection is. If the MRSA is causing an infection in a wound, that area of the skin may be red or tender. If the affected person has pneumonia, it may develop into a cough.
Community-associated MRSA commonly causes skin infections, such as boils, abscesses or cellulitis. Often, people think they have been bitten by a spider or insect. Because MRSA infections can become serious in a short time, medical experts warn that it is important to see a doctor right away if one you notices a boil or other skin problem.
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