Serratia marcescens bacteremia traced to an infused narcotic

BACKGROUND From June 30, 1998, through March 21, 1999, several patients in the surgical intensive care unit of a hospital acquired Serratia marcescens bacteremia. We investigated this outbreak. METHODS A case was defined as the occurrence of S. marcescens bacteremia in any patient in the surgical intensive care unit during the period of the epidemic. To identify risk factors, we compared patients with S. marcescens bacteremia with randomly selected controls. Isolates from patients and from medications were evaluated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The hair of one employee was tested for fentanyl. RESULTS Twenty-six patients with S. marcescens bacteremia were identified; eight (31 percent) had polymicrobial bacteremia, and seven of these had Enterobacter cloacae and S. marcescens in the same culture. According to univariate analysis, patients with S. marcescensbacteremia stayed in the surgical intensive care unit longer than controls (13.5 vs. 4.0 days, PS. marcescens and E. cloacae. The isolates from the case patients and from the fentanyl infusions had similar patterns on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. After removal of the implicated respiratory therapist, no further cases occurred. Full Text of Results... CONCLUSIONS An outbreak of S. marcescens and E. cloacae bacteremia in a surgical intensive care unit was traced to extrinsic contamination of the parenteral narcotic fentanyl by a health care worker. Our findings underscore the risk of complications in patients that is associated with illicit narcotic use by health care workers

Control of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus in Health Care Facilities in a Region

Background In late 1996, vancomycin-resistant enterococci were first detected in the Siouxland region of Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. A task force was created, and in 1997 the assistance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was sought in assessing the prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in the region’s facilities and implementing recommendations for screening, infection control, and education at all 32 health care facilities in the region. Methods The infection-control intervention was evaluated in October 1998 and October 1999. We performed point-prevalence surveys, conducted a case– control study of gastrointestinal colonization with vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and compared infection-control practices and screening policies for vancomycin-resistant enterococci at the acute care and long-term care facilities in the Siouxland region. Results Perianal-swab samples were obtained from 1954 of 2196 eligible patients (89 percent) in 1998 and 1820 of 2049 eligible patients (89 percent) in 1999. The overall prevalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci at 30 facilities that participated in all three years of the study decreased from 2.2 percent in 1997 to 1.4 percent in 1998 and to 0.5 percent in 1999 (P Conclusions An active infection-control intervention, which includes the obtaining of surveillance cultures and the isolation of infected patients, can reduce or eliminate the transmission of vancomycinresistant enterococci in the health care facilities of a region. (N Engl J Med 2001;344:1427-33.

Transmisión de Klebsiella pneumoniae resistente a carbapenemes en hospitales de EE.UU.

Antecedentes. La Klebsiella pneumoniae resistente a los carbapenemes (CRKp) es el Enterobacterales resistente a los carbapenemes más prevalente en los Estados Unidos. Se evaluó la agrupación de CRKp en pacientes de hospitales estadounidenses. Métodos. De abril de 2016 a agosto de 2017, 350 pacientes con grupo clonal 258 CRKp se inscribieron en el Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae, un estudio de cohortes prospectivo y multicéntrico. Se construyó un árbol de máxima verosimilitud utilizando RAxML. Los conglomerados estáticos compartían ≤21 polimorfismos de un solo nucleótido (SNP) y un ancestro común más reciente. Los conglomerados dinámicos incorporaron la distancia SNP, el tiempo de cultivo y las tasas de acumulación y transmisión SNP utilizando el programa R TransCluster. Resultados. La mayoría de los pacientes ingresaron desde su domicilio (n=150, 43%) o desde centros de cuidados de larga duración (n=115, 33%). La orina (n=149, 43%) fue el lugar de aislamiento más común. En total, se identificaron 55 conglomerados estáticos y 47 dinámicos en 210 de 350 (60%) y 194 de 350 (55%) pacientes, respectivamente. Aproximadamente la mitad de los clusters estáticos eran idénticos a los dinámicos. Los conglomerados estáticos consistían en 33 (60%) conglomerados intrasistema y 22 (40%) conglomerados intersistema. Los conglomerados dinámicos estaban formados por 32 (68%) conglomerados intrasistema y 15 (32%) conglomerados intersistema y presentaban menos diferencias de SNP que los conglomerados estáticos (8 frente a 9; P=.045; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95%: -4 a 0). Los conglomerados dinámicos intersistema contenían más pacientes que los conglomerados dinámicos intrasistema (mediana [intervalo intercuartílico], 4 [2, 7] frente a 2 [2, 2]; P=,007; IC del 95%: -3 a 0). Conclusiones. Se identificó una amplia transmisión intrasistémica e intersistémica de CRKp en pacientes estadounidenses hospitalizados. El uso de diferentes métodos para evaluar la similitud genética sólo dio lugar a diferencias menores en la interpretación.Background. Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKp) is the most prevalent carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales in the United States. We evaluated CRKp clustering in patients in US hospitals. Methods. From April 2016 to August 2017, 350 patients with clonal group 258 CRKp were enrolled in the Consortium on Resistance Against Carbapenems in Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae, a prospective, multicenter, cohort study. A maximum likelihood tree was constructed using RAxML. Static clusters shared ≤21 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and a most recent common ancestor. Dynamic clusters incorporated SNP distance, culture timing, and rates of SNP accumulation and transmission using the R program TransCluster. Results. Most patients were admitted from home (n=150, 43%) or long-term care facilities (n=115, 33%). Urine (n=149, 43%) was the most common isolation site. Overall, 55 static and 47 dynamics clusters were identified involving 210 of 350 (60%) and 194 of 350 (55%) patients, respectively. Approximately half of static clusters were identical to dynamic clusters. Static clusters consisted of 33 (60%) intrasystem and 22 (40%) intersystem clusters. Dynamic clusters consisted of 32 (68%) intrasystem and 15 (32%) intersystem clusters and had fewer SNP differences than static clusters (8 vs 9; P=.045; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −4 to 0). Dynamic intersystem clusters contained more patients than dynamic intrasystem clusters (median [interquartile range], 4 [2, 7] vs 2 [2, 2]; P=.007; 95% CI: −3 to 0). Conclusions. Widespread intrasystem and intersystem transmission of CRKp was identified in hospitalized US patients. Use of different methods for assessing genetic similarity resulted in only minor differences in interpretation

Clusters of emerging multidrug-resistant organisms in US health care facilities during the initial months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Background Outbreaks of emerging multidrug-resistant organisms (eMDROs), including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii, and Candida auris, have been reported among severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients. We describe eMDRO clusters in SARS-CoV-2 units and associated infection control (IC) practices early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods We conducted a retrospective survey of a convenience sample of health departments in 11 states to describe clusters of eMDROs that began before November 1, 2020 and involved SARS-CoV-2 units. Cluster characteristics and IC practices during the cluster period were assessed using a standardized outbreak report form, and descriptive analyses were performed. Results Overall, 18 eMDRO clusters (10 carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, 6 C auris, 1 carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and 1 carbapenem-resistant A baumannii) in 18 health care facilities involving 397 patients were reported from 10 states. During the cluster period, 60% of facilities reported a shortage of isolation gowns, 69% extended use of gowns, and 67% reported difficulty obtaining preferred disinfectants. Reduced frequency of hand hygiene audits was reported in 85% of acute care hospitals during the cluster period compared with before the pandemic. Conclusions Changes in IC practices and supply shortages were identified in facilities with eMDRO outbreaks during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and might have contributed to eMDRO transmission

Vancomycin Susceptibility of Oxacillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates Causing Nosocomial Bloodstream Infections

Nosocomial oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (ORSA) bloodstream isolates were tested to determine the prevalence of vancomycin heteroresistance. We screened 619 ORSA nosocomial bloodstream isolates from 36 hospitals between 1997 and 2000. Only one isolate exhibiting heterotypic resistance was detected. Thus, vancomycin heteroresistance in clinical bloodstream isolates remains rare in the United States

Developing Interactive Antimicrobial Stewardship and Infection Prevention Curricula for Diverse Learners: A Tailored Approach.

BACKGROUND: To impart principles of antimicrobial stewardship (AS) and infection prevention and control (IPC), we developed a curriculum tailored to the diverse aptitudes of learners at our medical center. METHODS: We integrated case-based modules, group learning activities, smartphone applications (apps), decision support tools, and prescription audit and feedback into curricula of the medical school, medicine residency program, infectious diseases (ID) fellowship program, and hospital medicine program operations. Interventions were implemented in 2012-2016 using a quasi-experimental before-and-after study design, and this was assessed using pre- and postintervention surveys or audit of antibiotic prescriptions. RESULTS: Over 180 medical students participated in the AS and IPC seminars. After smartphone app introduction, 69% reported using the app as their preferred source of antibiotic information. Approximately 70% of students felt comfortable prescribing antibiotics for a known infection compared with 40% at baseline ( CONCLUSIONS: All 5 interventions addressed learning objectives and knowledge gaps and are applicable across a range of environments. Evaluating long-term impact of our curriculum is the focus of future study