The number of potentially deadly golden staph infections at Canberra Hospital almost halved last year, according to a national report.
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The National Health Performance Authority's third report on staphylococcus aureus infections found 21 cases in the Canberra Hospital during 2013-14, with an infection rate of 1.05 cases per 10,000 patient days.
The latest figures are welcome news for ACT Health, with 2012-13 data revealing 41 recorded cases and one of the highest infection rates of any major hospital in the country.
Professor Peter Collignon, an infectious disease physician and executive director of ACT Pathology, said the decreasing cases were great news for the hospital but more still needed to be done.
"These are very bad infections, and if you have one in your blood you have about at 20 percent chance of not surviving more than 30 days," he said.
"These types of reports make everyone in the institution pay attention from the CEO down to the cleaning staff, and all of these people can be doing their jobs better."
Golden staph is a bacterium often found on the skin of healthy people and is relatively harmless unless it enters the body, where it can cause serious illness should it make its way into the bloodstream.
According to the report, most cases of golden staph can be treated by antibiotics, but more serious strains can prove resistant.
"There is a 50 per cent chance that we are carrying it on our noses or skin and we could give it to others in a hospital through the hands of staff, which is why the alcohol handwash is so important," he said.
"In a hospital we can facilitate the spread of these bugs by giving them a gateway to our bloodstreams."
ACT Health Minister Simon Corbell said the reduction in cases was "very good news" and highlighted the hospital's ongoing commitment to safety.
"The good thing about these numbers is that they are well below the national benchmark and the performance of peer hospitals," he said.
The NHPA report found the number of reported cases in Australia fell by 6 per cent thanks to improvements in major hospitals.
All major hospitals reported at least one case of golden staph infection, with the exception of the Warrnambool Base Hospital in Victoria.
National Health Performance Authority CEO Dr Diane Watson said national reporting allowed hospitals to compare their results with other hospitals with a similar size and services.
"While the reduction of about 100 cases is an improvement, we should remember that every healthcare-associated bloodstream infection is both potentially deadly and preventable," she said.
"Estimates suggest 20 to 35 per cent of people who experience healthcare-associated staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections die from this or a related cause, and some patients are more susceptible than others," the report said.
Professor Collignon said the reduction in cases was the result of a whole-of-hospital initiative.
"It's the result of a concerted effort from all staff over a long period of time to comply with better hand hygiene and better protocols," he said.
"If you identify a problem which is particularly bad then you need to approach it in a systematic way so people at all levels understand the importance."
St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney recorded the highest rate of infection at 2.32 cases per 10,000 patient days, while Westmead Hospital recorded 47 cases during the year.