Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-03T04:06:12.562Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Environmental Contamination by Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in an Intensive Care Unit

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anna S. Levin*
Affiliation:
Hospital Infection Control Department, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Satiko Gobara
Affiliation:
Hospital Infection Control Department, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Caio M.F. Mendes
Affiliation:
Hospital Infection Control Department, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
M. Rosa Cursino
Affiliation:
Hospital Infection Control Department, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Sumiko Sinto
Affiliation:
Hospital Infection Control Department, Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Rua Harmonia, 564/52, São Paulo, SP 05435-000, Brazil

Abstract

Contamination in an intensive care unit caused by mul-tidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii complex (MRAB)-colo-nized patients was evaluated using environmental and patient cultures. MRAB occurred in 21% of patients' cultures, 2.1% of 513 areas surrounding MRAB-patients, and one of 372 common areas. No transmission to other patients occurred. Barrier precautions and ethanol disinfection may prevent dissemination.

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Seifert, H, Strate, A, Pulverer, G. Nosocomial bacteremia due to Acinetobacter baumannii: clinical features, epidemiology, and predictors of mortality. Medicine (Baltimore) 1995;74:340349.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Levin, AS, Mendes, CMF, Sinto, SI, Sader, HS, Scarpitta, CRM, Rodrigues, E, et al.An outbreak of multi-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in a university hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1996;17:366368.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Musa, EK, Desai, N, Casewell, MW. The survival of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus inoculated on fingertips and on Formica. J Hosp Inject 1990;1:219227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Wendt, C, Dietze, B, Ruden, H. Survival of Acinetobacter species on dry surfaces. J Clin Microbiol 1997;35:13941397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Graevenitz, A. Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Moraxella and other non fermentative gram-negative bacteria. In: Murray, PR, Baron, EJ, Pfaller, MA, Tenover, FC, Yolken, RH, eds. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology; 1995:520532.Google Scholar
6.National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards, 1995. Performance Standards for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing. Villanova, PA: National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards; 1995.Google Scholar
7.Maslow, JN, Slutsky, AM, Arbeit, RD. Application of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to molecular epidemiology. In: Persing, DH, Smith, TF, Tenover, FC, White, TJ, eds. Diagnostic Molecular Epidemiology: Principles and Applications. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology 1993;563572.Google Scholar
8.Pillay, T, Pillay, DG, Adhikari, M, Pillay, A, Sturm, AW. An outbreak of neonatal infection with Acinetobacter linked to contaminated suction catheters. J Hosp Infect 1999;43:299304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Kaul, R, Burt, JA, Cork, L, Dedier, H, Garcia, M, Kennedy, C, et al.Investigation of a multiyear multiple critical care unit outbreak due to relatively drug-sensitive Acinetobacter baumannii: risk factors and attributable mortality. J Infect Dis 1996;174:12791287.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.McDonald, LC, Walker, M, Carson, L, Arduino, M, Aguero, SM, Gomez, P, McNeil, P, Jarvis, WR. Outbreak of Acinetobacter spp bloodstream infections in a nursery associated with contaminated aerosols and air conditioners. Pediatr Infect Dis J 1998;17:716722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Ayats, J, Corbella, X, Ardanuy, C, Dominguez, MA, Ricart, A, Ariza, J, et al.Epidemiological significance of cutaneous, pharyngeal, and digestive tract colonization by multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii in ICU patients. J Hosp Infect 1997;37:287295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed