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Deaths: Infectious Diseases

Volume 504: debated on Wednesday 27 January 2010

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in how many cases (a) staphylococcus aureus, (b) meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and (c) Clostridium difficile has been mentioned on death certificates in each region in each year since 1997. (313937)

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 27 January 2010:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking in how many cases (a) staphylococcus aureus, (b) meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus and (c) Clostridium difficile has been mentioned on death certificates in each region in each year since 1997. (313937)

The tables attached provide the number of deaths where (a) Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) (Table 1), (b) meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (Table 2) and (c) Clostridium difficile (C difficile) (Table 3) was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor, in each government office region in England, for the years 1997 to 2008 (the latest year available). Figures for 1997, 1998 and 2000 are not available for Table 3.

Although Staphylococcus aureus, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile are defined by the Health Protection Agency as healthcare associated infections, it is not possible to state whether the deceased was a patient at the time of death, or where the infection was acquired.

Table 1: Number of deaths where Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was mentioned on the death certificate, government office regions in England, 1997 to 20081,2,3

Deaths (persons)

Government office region

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

North East

38

32

32

47

47

51

84

95

100

104

106

102

North West

95

119

98

126

126

141

173

168

237

236

239

194

Yorkshire and The Humber

54

68

85

94

114

111

127

163

197

168

170

139

East Midlands

61

74

74

76

103

91

119

131

148

181

153

129

West Midlands

92

103

120

141

126

134

132

156

241

246

249

178

East of England

87

85

99

112

122

124

152

177

196

241

248

129

London

108

101

132

135

153

147

153

179

225

257

227

159

South East

118

126

156

204

208

203

226

256

348

359

297

205

South West

68

91

94

118

131

137

157

189

268

233

252

160

1 Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving MRSA; England and Wales, 2008. Health Statistics Quarterly 43, 38-42

2 Based on boundaries as of 2009

3 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year

Table 2. Number of deaths where meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was mentioned on the death certificate, government office regions in England, 1997 to 20081,2,3

Deaths (persons)

Government office region

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

North East

11

15

13

23

31

35

56

68

78

82

85

88

North West

43

60

48

62

55

78

112

120

184

174

199

171

Yorkshire and The Humber

29

30

40

45

64

77

79

114

150

126

130

105

East Midlands

19

28

36

44

66

50

76

86

116

136

116

98

West Midlands

48

50

64

81

78

82

93

108

203

183

202

147

East of England

49

35

49

68

81

83

100

129

143

187

192

105

London

55

47

58

84

90

100

107

130

187

189

174

133

South East

61

64

73

131

137

141

171

179

258

292

224

167

South West

38

42

48

67

79

90

108

135

217

187

195

123

1 Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving MRSA; England and Wales, 2008. Health Statistics Quarterly 43, 38-42.

2 Based on boundaries as of 2009.

3 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Table 3. Number of deaths where Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) was mentioned on the death certificate, government office regions in England, 1999,2001-081,2,3,4

Deaths (persons)

Government office region

1999

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

North East

54

65

76

103

129

222

207

328

347

North West

134

157

174

220

271

334

513

1010

980

Yorkshire and The Humber

60

87

114

117

153

181

267

510

486

East Midlands

63

66

65

95

137

411

917

823

502

West Midlands

86

121

140

225

283

534

1115

1255

771

East of England

82

144

187

230

246

395

748

1035

465

London

138

188

209

223

238

529

756

1001

534

South East

164

171

206

312

338

507

1016

1080

750

South West

137

150

154

195

351

535

762

874

630

1 Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics: Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 2008. Health Statistics Quarterly 43, 43-47.

2 All deaths in England and Wales are coded by the Office for National Statistics according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). The Tenth Revision (ICD-10) has been used since 2001. In the Ninth Revision of the ICD (ICD-9) there are no specific codes that would allow deaths mentioning Clostridium difficile to be easily identified. Figures for 1998 and 2000 are therefore not available as ICD-9 was used in these years. Deaths registered in 1999 were coded to both ICD-9 and ICD-10 as part of a special study to compare the two ICD revisions, and have therefore been used to give an additional year of data on deaths involving Clostridium difficle.

3 Based on boundaries as of 2009.

4 Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.