Polymicrobial ventriculitis and evaluation of an outbreak in a surgical intensive care unit due to inadequate sterilization

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 170 - 174
• Main Authors: Esel, D., Doganay, M., Bozdemir, N., Yildiz, O., Tezcaner, T., Sumerkan, B., Aygen, B., Selcuklu, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kent Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2002; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acinetobacter Infections - etiology; Adult; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Bedding and Linens; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiac Surgical Procedures; Cross Infection - etiology; Equipment Contamination; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Intensive Care Units; Klebsiella Infections; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Male; Medical sciences; Sepsis - etiology; Serratia Infections - etiology; Serratia marcescens; Serratia marcescens, polymicrobial ventriculitis, outbreak, sterilization; Sterilization; Surgery Department, Hospital; Surgical Wound Infection - etiology; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt; Serratia marcescens, polymicrobial ventriculitis, outbreak, sterilization; Epidemic; Postoperative; Medical equipment; Nosocomial infection; Nervous system diseases; Mixed infection; Ventriculitis; Contamination; Intensive care unit; Cerebral disorder; Treatment; Central nervous system disease; Serratia marcescens; Sterilization; Bacteria; Transmission mode; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1053/jhin.2002.1187

At the end of 1999, a case of polymicrobial ventriculitis in the Department of Neurosurgery followed by an outbreak of Serratia marcescens mediastinitis in the intensive care unit of cardiovascular surgery occurred. These nosocomial surgical infections were considered to be the result of contamination of surgical sites with inadequately sterilized instruments or theatre linen. An epidemiological survey was focused on the central sterilization unit of the hospital. The microbiological results of this survey proved that the cause of the outbreak was the use of inadequately decontaminated theatre linen. This study indicates that strict infection control measures including the control of sterilization procedures and a well-organized infection control team are necessary to prevent nosocomial surgical infections.