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An Outbreak of Serratia marcescens Bloodstream Infections Associated With Misuse of Drug Vials in a Surgical Ward

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Angelo Pan*
Affiliation:
Divisione di Malattie Infettive, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Lucia Dolcetti
Affiliation:
Direzione Sanitaria, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Catia Barosi
Affiliation:
Servizio di Farmacia, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Patrizia Catenazzi
Affiliation:
Direzione Sanitaria, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Tomaso Ceruti
Affiliation:
Laboratorio di Microbiologia, Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona, Cremona, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Lucio Ferrari
Affiliation:
Laboratorio di Microbiologia, Istituti Ospitalieri di Cremona, Cremona, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Silvia Magri
Affiliation:
Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Eugenia Quiros Roldan
Affiliation:
Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Laura Soavi
Affiliation:
Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
Giuseppe Carnevale
Affiliation:
Divisione di Malattie Infettive, Spedali Civili, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
*
Istituto di Malattie Infettive e Tropicali, Spedali Civili- Universita degli Studi di Brescia, Piazzale Spedali Civili, 1, 20123 Brescia, Italy (ange.pan@tiscali.it)

Abstract

We report an outbreak of Serratia marcescens bloodstream infection due to contamination of total parenteral nutrition solution by insulin or poligeline solution when single-use vials were used for multiple doses in a surgical ward. Four patients had severe sepsis, and no patient died. Multidose vials, used either correctly or incorrectly, may be associated with bloodstream infection.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

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