Quebec hospital blamed for C. difficile deaths

Quebec coroner Catherine Rudel-Tessier is blaming a hospital east of Montreal for allowing two deadly outbreaks of C. difficile to develop unchecked.

Administrators at the Honoré-Mercier Hospital in Saint-Hyacinthe were singled out in a report by Rudel-Tessier for failing to spend enough money on measures known to contain the superbug's spread.

The report caps the coroner's office probe into 16 deaths at the hospital east of Montreal. All victims had contracted Clostridium difficile before their deaths between May and November 2006.

C. difficile causes swelling of the intestines and diarrhea as well as fever and vomiting.

The report, originally scheduled for release on Tuesday, was leaked to the media on Monday.

Rudel-Tessier concluded that every hospital director has to take necessary steps to ensure proper measures are in place, even if there are high costs involved.

Her report notes that the arrival of a new director at the hospital in 2007 marked a significant turning point at the institution, with more emphasis on disease prevention.

Rudel-Tessier will formally release her report Tuesday, when hospital officialshave saidthey'll comment on her findings and recommendations.