期刊
JOURNAL OF HOSPITAL INFECTION
卷 48, 期 1, 页码 13-19出版社
W B SAUNDERS CO LTD
DOI: 10.1053/jhin.2001.0947
关键词
pulsed-field gel electrophoresis; hospital-acquired outbreak; Serratia marcescens; neonatal intensive care unit
Serratia marcescens is a well-recognized hospital-acquired pathogen, which has been associated with a number of specific outbreaks, particularly in critically ill neonates. We used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PEGE) typing to analyse an outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We included samples from nine patients, three handwashes and ten environmental isolates from an outbreak (February to August 1999) in addition to four patient isolates from different wards of our hospital during the same time period. The clinical presentations of the outbreak included bacteraemia (four cases), pneumonia (three cases), umbilical wound infection tone case) and conjunctivitis tone case). Nine outbreak isolates exhibited an identical PFGE fingerprint, while the epidemiologically unrelated strains demonstrated distinct patterns. Epidemiological investigation failed to reveal a common source of the outbreak, although the epidemic S. marcescens strain was isolated from hand-washes and doors of incubators. We concluded that cross-transmission via transient contamination of hands was the major route for this outbreak. Strict handwashing practices, the cohorting and isolation of colonized and infected patients, and the regular disinfection of incubators are crucial steps for preventing the transmission of S. marcescens in an NICU. This PFGE method is highly discriminatory for the thorough epidemiological investigation of an outbreak of S. marcescens. (C) 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.
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