Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
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Clin. Microbiol. Infect. · Apr 2014
An integrated approach to control a prolonged outbreak of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an intensive care unit.
In this paper we aim to provide insight into the complexity of outbreak management in an intensive care unit (ICU) setting. In October 2010 four patients on the ICU of our tertiary care centre were colonized or infected with a multidrug-resistant strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA). An outbreak investigation was carried out and infection control measures were taken in an attempt to identify a potential source and stop transmission. ⋯ Contaminated faucet aerators on the ICU probably served as a persisting source, while interpatient transmission by medical staff was a likely way of spread. Seven months after the last case (January 2012) and 3 months after cessation of extended isolation measures (May 2012), single cases started to occur on the ICU, with a total of seven patients in the past year. No common source has yet been found.