A PATIENT died after contracting an infection which spread in an intensive care unit of a Glasgow hospital and is linked to contaminated water, it has emerged.

Official documents show that were two cases of MDRO (multi-drug resistant) Pseudomonas aeruginosa at Glasgow Royal Infirmary which had “matching profiles”. The cases were ‘red flagged’ in November, the most serious outbreak category.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that one of the cases had contracted the bug due to “cross contamination” in the intensive care unit.

The board said one patient had sadly passed away during the outbreak which was categorised as red, the highest alert, but did not issue further details and said the deceased patient had serious underlying health conditions.

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Board papers state that action was taken to resolve a “cleaning issue” with an ice machine but neither patient is said to have consumed ice. Water sampling tests are said to have ruled out any trace of the bacteria and staff were given “patient placement advice”.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa rarely affects healthy patients and can cause a wide range of infections, particularly in those with a weakened immune system such as cancer patients and newborns.

According to UK government guidelines, infections are sometimes associated with contact with contaminated water. In hospitals, the organism can contaminate devices that are left inside the body, such as respiratory equipment and catheters.

The bug is said to account for 10% of hospital acquired infections and some types are said to be resistant to nearly all antibiotics.

Professor Hugh Pennington, Emeritus Professor of Bacteriology at Aberdeen University, added:  “It is an ICU pest when it contaminates equipment and has been a significant problem (pre COVID) for patients being ventilated.”

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Board papers detailing healthcare acquired infections also show that an incident management team meeting was held on October 1 after three patients contracted Burkholderia stabilis, which is associated with contaminated medical devices.

NHSGGC said blood cultures had detected a typing match between the affected patients.

Tests of water, gloves and all shared equipment were negative but the board said investigations were ongoing.

A spokeswoman for the board said: "Our condolences go out to families and friends who have lost a loved one.

"While we cannot comment on individual cases in the media, we can confirm that incident management teams were established in relation to these incidents and swift action was taken as a result. 

"We have strict infection prevention and control procedures in place and all staff follow national guidance.

"These incidents have been reported to our Board as part of our robust management and governance of infection prevention and control processes in our hospitals."

Figures also show there has been 75 red or amber alerts since September due to outbreaks of Covid-19 in hospitals.

This led to 44 wards being closed in October and 37 wards being shut in November. As of yesterday, 14 wards remained closed.

The data also shows that more hospitals wards have been shut down in the second wave of the pandemic, as more evidence has emerged about the ways in which the virus spreads.

READ MORE: Covid-19 'spread like a cruise ship' after hospital transfer, whistleblower claims 

From March to May, 27 wards were closed to new patients across NHSGGC, while 90 have been shut from September to November.

So far, ward closures across Scotland’s biggest health board due to the pandemic have led to 10,009 ‘lost’ bed days.

In May, The Herald told how a decision to transfer elderly patients from Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to Gartnavel General is said to have led to cases spreading “like a cruise ship”. Whistleblowers claimed there had been been 25 deaths and 81 cases in a matter of weeks.

It is claimed that many patients had tested negative when admitted but developed the virus because there was “active infection” in the wards they were transferred to and they were not isolated on arrival.

NHSGGC said at the time that “a lot had been learned” about the transmission of the virus and said extra infection control measures were put in place when it was noticed there was a rise in cases at Gartnavel.