American journal of infection control
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Am J Infect Control · Dec 1998
Case ReportsMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii: an unexpected difference in epidemiologic behavior.
The Dutch guideline on hospital policy for the prevention of nosocomial spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) states that patients transferred from hospitals abroad must be placed in strict isolation immediately on admission to a hospital in the Netherlands. Three patients colonized with both MRSA and a multiresistant Acinetobacter were transferred from hospitals in Mediterranean countries to 3 different hospitals in the Netherlands. Despite isolation precautions, Acinetobacter spread in 2 of the 3 hospitals, whereas nosocomial spread of MRSA did not occur. ⋯ Precautions recommended for multiresistant gram-negative organisms are insufficient for the prevention of nosocomial spread of multiresistant Acinetobacter. The airborne mode of spread of acinetobacters should be taken into account, and guidelines should be revised accordingly.