UC24 'victim' contracts MRSA during operaton

Nov 2 2007 by Caroline Innes, Liverpool Daily Post

A YOUNG woman who spent six weeks unconscious and suffered kidney failure after a doctor failed to spot she had appendicitis has survived major surgery, only to be told she has MRSA.

Christy Millar, 21, found out she had the killer superbug last week after undergoing surgery at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital to remove a colostomy bag and nine inches of her intestine.

Tests taken from the back of her throat while she was in intensive care proved positive and Miss Millar, from Ellesmere Port, was immediately put onto antibiotics and isolated.

But last night the geology graduate, who has already endured months of dialysis and confinement to a wheel chair following her burst appendix, said finding she had MRSA was “a real blow.”

She said: “The operation went really well.

“It was a real blow. I just want to go home, but am not strong enough.

“And now I need to stay in until my tests for the MRSA all come back negative.

“I just can't believe this has happened to me. I must be the most unlucky person in the world.”

The Daily Post has covered Miss Millar’s case previously after she said call handlers at Liverpool’s out-of-hours service Urgent Care 24 (UC24) failed her.

Miss Millar said UC24 doctors told her in 2006 that she had a stomach bug and to phone back in 24 hours. When she finally saw a locum doctor at a walk-in medical centre in Old Swan, he gave her an anti-sickness injection and sent her home.

Less than 48 hours later, she was fighting for her life in hospital.

Now, she still needs a transplant and cannot walk more than 10 metres independently.

She still believes if she had been properly her condition would not have deteriorated and has been campaigning for an independent review.

Miss Millar’s fiancé, Steven Boyer, said: “This has extended her stay in hospital which is not what she wanted after everything she has already been through.

“We just want her to be rid of it as soon as possible.

“It was a real shock to be honest when she was doing so well.

“Just to hear the words MRSA is so intimidating and frightening.”

A spokesman for the Trust said: “We are doing a significant amount of work to prevent and reduce hospital acquired infections.

“We have seen year-on- year reductions in MRSA for the past three years, but we recognise that we need to do more and faster.

“This is why we are investing a further £420,000 this year on this.

“In this specific case, we proactively tested the patient and it is regrettable that MRSA has been found present.”