Man loses legs to 'superbug'

Deryk Unger had his legs amputated after contracting MRSA

An engineer has had both legs amputated after contracting a so-called 'superbug' after going into hospital to have treatment to an infected foot.

Deryk Unger, from Glynneath, went into the now-closed Neath General Hospital to have minor cuts to his feet treated.

Mr Unger twice contracted the so-called hospital 'superbug', MRSA, and ultimately had to have both legs amputated below the knee.

In its simple form, the bacteria is found in 30% of the population and is usually harmless.

They took the big toe off and it still didn't heal, so they had to cut the other leg off Deryk Unger

But some bacteria have become resistant to drugs and present a serious danger to patients.

Mr Unger first needed treatment after grazing his heel nearly five years ago.

Mr Unger, who has diabetes, went into hospital to have the wound cleaned surgically.

The infection got worse and he had to have parts of his foot removed until eventually his leg had to be amputated below the knee.

Shortly after coming out of hospital, he hurt his right toe - a wound which also became infected with MRSA.

Mr Unger said: "Eventually they said, 'we'll have to take your big toe off'.

"So they took the big toe off and it still didn't heal, so they had to cut the other leg off."

The MRSA super bug

Mr Unger, an engineer, can only work part time and from home since he lost both his legs.

In a statement, Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust said: "MRSA is endemic in our communities and in all UK hospitals.

"Unfortunately, patients with diabetes are more susceptible to acquiring the infection."

Dr Mike Simmons, senior medical officer at the Welsh assembly, said measures were in place in hospitals to deal with MRSA.

He added: "There are isolation facilities in every hospital that should meet the need for MRSA.

"At the Welsh assembly, we recognise it as a very serious issue indeed.

'Positive mental attitude'

"From an infection point of view, I'm concerned about the worry factor we produce by talking about MRSA.

"Positive mental attitude going into hospital will undoubtedly help the immune system cope with any infection.

"The other side of the equation is (for patients) to challenge doctors and nurses who they think haven't washed their hands and I would advocate that."

As many as 5,000 people a year are dying from hospital-acquired infections, according to the National Audit Office.

And the problem of patients contracting infections while in hospital costs the NHS £1bn a year.

MRSA stands for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - a strain of Staphylococcus which is resistant to one or more conventional antibiotics.

Staphylococcus is a family of common bacteria which many people naturally carry it in their throats, and it can cause a mild infection in a healthy patient.

There are many different strains of MRSA, with differing degrees of immunity to antibiotics.