Visiting restrictions at Portiuncula due to contagious infection cases

Cases of the contagious bacterial infection Clostridium Difficile in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, have resulted in patients being isolated and visiting restrictions being put in place.

When contacted by the Westmeath Independent, a spokesperson for the Saolta University Health Care Group, which manages Portiuncula Hospital, said today (Thursday) that there were 'a small number of cases of C. difficile in Portiuncula Hospital.'

The spokesperson said that the patients affected 'have been appropriately isolated and all necessary precautions and infection control measures have been put in place in the hospital, including restricted visiting where necessary.'

The Saolta group added that the situation was 'being monitored daily' by the hospital's infection control team.

People infected with Clostridium Difficile suffer symptoms such as diarrhoea, stomach cramps, fever, nausea, and loss of appetite.

A HIQA inspection report on Portiuncula earlier this year found that efforts are ongoing to limit the risk of cases of C. difficile, but that this was made more challenging by insufficient isolation facilities available at the hospital.