Control of an Acientobacter baumannii outbreak in a neonatal ICU without suspension of service: a devastating outbreak in Diyarbakir, Turkey

Background A nosocomial outbreak of Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infections (Ab-BSI) was identified in Diyarbakir Children's Hospital's (Diyarbakir, Turkey) 60-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2006 and 2007. Methods The investigation and control of the outbreak were based on case control and epidemiological studies as well as multifaceted interventions. Sixty-four neonates (case patients) with Ab-BSI and 128 neonates (control patients) free of Ab-BSI, who had been hospitalized at the unit during the outbreak period, were included in the study. Case and control patients were compared for possible predisposing factors (e.g., gender, length of NICU stay, antibiotic use, intubation, etc.). An intervention program (cohorting, education, reinforcing hand hygiene, antibiotic restriction, improving processes of patient care, environmental cleaning, and barrier isolation) was implemented to control the outbreak. Surveillance cultures were collected from all possible sources, and the epidemiological investigation was supplemented by a pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) study. Results Fifty-three neonates (82.8%) died in the case group and 51 (39.8%) in the control group (P < 0.001). The duration of stay at the NICU [odds ratio (OR) 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-1.23; P < < 0.001] and re-intubation (OR 38.62; CI 12.66-117.87; P < 0.001) were found to be significant risk factors for Ab-BSI. Surveillance cultures showed a heavy contamination in the NICU, and the outbreak ended after a series multifaceted interventions. All A. baumannii isolates, both from the cases and environmental samples, had an identical PFGE fingerprint pattern. Conclusion The control of Ab-BSI requires a multifaceted intervention program and complex efforts and implementations, especially if the ICU does not implement any suspension of care provision.