In the battle against germs at Vancouver General Hospital, one of the weapons being used is a high-tech machine that resembles R2-D2 from Star Wars.

The machine uses ultraviolet radiation to sterilize a room. It’s one of the new pieces of equipment and protocols that have been put in place to significantly reduce hospital mortality rates in the past five years within Vancouver Coastal Health.

B.C. now has the lowest rate of unexpected hospital deaths in the country, according to data released Thursday by the Ministry of Health.

The claim is based on a measurement called the Hospital Standardized Mortality Ratio (HSMR), which compares a hospital’s in-patient mortality rate with the average Canadian rate from 2009, which has been set as the baseline of 100.

When hospital deaths decrease, so does the HSMR. In B.C., the HSMR has dropped from 96 in 2009-10 to 81 in 2013-14. Within Vancouver Coastal Health and its 13 acute care sites during the same time period, the rate dropped from 90 to 79.

Meanwhile, the national rate dropped from 100 to 85.

Efforts at VGH, for example, include a targeted program implemented in the past five years that includes equipment such as the ultraviolet machine, programs around handwashing, and other changes to reduce the likelihood of falls, especially for the elderly, according to Linda Dempster, executive director of quality and patient safety at Vancouver Coastal Health.

One of the targets has been Clostridium difficile infections, known as C. difficile or CDI, which have steadily dropped. CDI can be caused by several factors including poor hand hygiene, inappropriate antibiotic treatment and poor human waste disposal. The balance of bacteria in the gut is affected, resulting in the suppression of good bacteria while allowing C. difficile to grow. It is the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

“We have had a 32-per-cent reduction in CDI at Vancouver General Hospital over the last two years,” Dempster said.

Dempster compared the ultraviolet machine to the Star Wars robot. She said it is rolled into an empty patient room or operating room. It’s usually done at night because no one can be in the room while the machine goes through its 14-minute cycle of disinfecting.

Another change that has contributed to the decrease in HSMR is prescribing medication to reduce the risk of patients getting blood clots from being immobilized. Antimicrobial stewardship is described as making sure patients receive the correct antibiotic for a particular infection for the proper duration.

“I guess to me the best part is you’re using these measures to compare yourself over time and to really see if you’re making improvements,” said Dempster. “It’s all about doing all the small things — but they add up.”

According to a news release from the health ministry, all health authorities in B.C. have shown a decrease in HSMR during the past five years.

Health Minister Terry Lake said the improvements are a result of a combination of “dedicated health care professionals” and new programs to improve patient safety.

“Our goal is to see continual improvement in this measure, as part of our strategic priorities for health care,” he said in the release.

kevingriffin@vancouversun.com

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