Crowded hospital partly blamed for C. difficile spread

Overcrowding may have been partly to blame in the rash of deaths caused by C. difficile at a hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., a coroner's report says.

The hospital-borne Clostridium difficile bacteria caused 10 deaths and contributed to eight others between April and November 2006 at Sault Area Hospital.

Deputy chief coroner Dr. Bonita Porter's report Wednesday suggests the aging building andan overcrowded hospital may have played a role in the outbreak, since both factors limited the hospital staff's ability to isolate patients.

Widespread use of antibiotics was also partly blamed. Infections are known to be triggered when a hospitalized patient, who has unknowingly caught the bug, is given antibiotics for another condition.

The report recommends that all health-care practitioners be reminded to be careful about prescribing antibiotics.

Italso recommends health-care facilities set upsurveillance mechanismsto identify and track confirmed cases of C. difficile.