Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:00:13.199Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Acute Emergence of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica Infection among Mechanically Ventilated Patients in a Long-Term Acute Care Facility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Kingsley N. Weaver*
Affiliation:
Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago
Roderick C. Jones
Affiliation:
Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago
Rosemary Albright
Affiliation:
Advocate Hospitals, Chicago
Yolanda Thomas
Affiliation:
Advocate Hospitals, Chicago
Carlos H. Zambrano
Affiliation:
Advocate Hospitals, Chicago
Michael Costello
Affiliation:
Chicago, and ACL Clinical Laboratories, Rosemont, Illinois
Janet Havel
Affiliation:
Chicago, and ACL Clinical Laboratories, Rosemont, Illinois
Joel Price
Affiliation:
Illinois Department of Public Health, Chicago
Susan I. Gerber
Affiliation:
Chicago Department of Public Health, Chicago
*
Chicago Dept of Public Health, 2160 W Ogden Ave, Chicago, IL 60612 ([email protected])

Extract

Objective.

To describe an outbreak of infection associated with an infrequently implicated pathogen, Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, in an increasingly prominent setting for health care of severely ill patients, the long-term acute care hospital.

Design.

Outbreak investigation.

Setting.

Long-term acute care hospital with 55 patients, most of whom were mechanically ventilated.

Methods.

We defined a case as E. meningoseptica isolated from any patient specimen source from December 2007 through April 2008, conducted an investigation of case patients, obtained environmental specimens, and performed microbiologic testing.

Results.

Nineteen patients had E. meningoseptica infection, and 8 died. All case patients had been admitted with respiratory failure that required mechanical ventilation. Among the 8 individuals who died, the time from collection of the first specimen positive for E. meningoseptica to death ranged from 6 to 43 days (median, 16 days). Environmental sampling was performed on 106 surfaces; E. meningoseptica was isolated from only one swab. Three related pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns were identified in patient isolates; the environmental isolate yielded a fourth, unrelated pattern.

Conclusion.

Long-term acute care hospitals with mechanically ventilated patients could serve as an important transmission setting for E. meningoseptica. This multidrug-resistant bacterium could pose additional risk when patients are transferred between long-term acute care hospitals and acute care hospitals.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2010

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.Bernardet, JF, Hugo, C, Bruun, B. The genera Chryseobacterium and Elizabethkingia. In: Dworkin, M, Falkow, S, Rosenberg, E, Schleifer, KH, Stackebrandt, E, eds. The Prokaryotes: a Handbook of the Biology of Bacteria. Proteobacteria: Delta and Epsilon Subclasses. Deeply Rooting Bacteria. Vol 7. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Springer; 2006:638676.Google Scholar
2.Kim, KK, Kim, MK, Lim, JH, Park, HY, Lee, ST. Transfer of Chryseobacterium meningosepticum and Chrysobacterium miricola to Elizabethkingia gen. nov. as Elizbethkingia meningoseptica comb. nov. and Elizabethkingia miricela comb. nov. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2005;55:12871293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Kirby, JT, Sader, HS, Walsh, TR, Jones, RN. Antimicrobial susceptibility and epidemiology of a worldwide collection of Chryseobacterium spp.: report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (19972001). J Clin Microbiol 2004;42:445448.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Gungor, S, Ozen, M, Akinci, A, Durmaz, R. A Chryseobacterium meningosepticum outbreak in a neonatal ward. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2003;24:613617.Google Scholar
5.Ceyhan, M, Yildirim, I, Tekeli, A, et al. A Chryseobacterium meningosepticum outbreak observed in 3 clusters involving both neonatal and non-neonatal pediatric patients. Am J Infect Control 2008;36:453457.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Pokrywka, M, Viazanko, K, Medvick, J. A Flavobacterium meningosepticum outbreak among intensive care patients. Am J Infect Control 1993;21:139145.Google Scholar
7.Brown, R, Phillips, D, Barker, MJ, Pleczarka, R, Sands, M, Teres, D. Outbreak of nosocomial Flavobacterium meningosepticum respiratory infections associated with use of aerosolized polymixin b. Am J Infect Control 1989;17:121125.Google Scholar
8.Eskildsen, M. Long-term acute care: a review of the literature. J Am Geriatr Soc 2007;55:775779.Google Scholar
9.Carson, S, Bach, P, Brozozowski, L, Leff, A. Outcomes after long-term acute care: an analysis of 133 mechanically ventilated patients. Am J Respir Crit Med 1999;159:15681573.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Defining long-term care hospitals. In: MedPAC. Report to the Congress: New Approaches in Medicare. Washington, DC: MedPAC; 2004:121135.Google Scholar
11.Himes, D. Long-term acute care hospitals: one hospital's experience. Crit Care Nurs Q 2008;31:4651.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Gould, CV, Rothenburg, R, Steinberg, JP. Antibiotic resistance in long-term acute care hospitals: the perfect storm. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006;27:920925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Clinical and Laboratories Standards Institute (CLSI). Abbreviated Identification of Bacteria and Yeast: Approved Guideline. 1st ed. Wayne, PA: CLSI; 2002:M35A.Google Scholar
14.Ribot, EM, Fair, MA, Gautom, R, et al. Standardization of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis protocols for the subtyping of Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella, and Shigella for PulseNet. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2006;3:5967.Google Scholar
15.Tenover, FC, Arbeit, RD, Goering, RV; the Molecular Typing Working Group of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. How to select and interpret molecular strain typing methods for epidemiological studies of bacterial infections: a review for healthcare epidemiologists. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997;18:426439.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Hung, PP, Lin, YH, Lin, CF, Liu, MF, Shi, ZY. Chryseobacterium meningosepticum infection: antibiotic susceptibility and risk factors for mortality. J Microbiol Immunol Infect 2008;41:137144.Google ScholarPubMed
17.Lin, YL, Chu, C, Su, LH, Huang, CT, Chang, WY, Chiu, CH. Clinical and microbiological analysis of bloodstream infections caused by Chryseobacterium meningosepticum in nonneonatal patients. J Clin Microbiol 2004;42:33533355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Guevara, RE, English, L, Terashita, D. An outbreak of multidrug resistant Elizabethkingia meningoseptica associated with Colistin use in a respiratory hospital, Los Angeles County 2006. In: Acute Communicable Disease Control Program Special Studies Report 2006. Los Angeles, CA: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; 2006:4751.Google Scholar
19.Cefai, C, Richards, J, Gould, FK, McPeake, P. An outbreak of Acinetobacter respiratory infection resulting from incomplete disinfection ofventilatory equipment. J Hosp Infect 1990;15:177182.Google Scholar
20.Hartstein, AI, Rashad, AL, Liebler, JM, et al. Multiple intensive care unit outbreak of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subspecies anitratus respiratory infection and colonization associated with contaminated, reusable ventilator circuits and resuscitation bags. Am J Med 1988;85:624631.Google Scholar
21.Stone, JW, Das, BC. Investigation of at outbreak of infection with Acinetobacter calcoaceticus in a special care baby unit. J Hosp Infect 1986;7:4248.Google Scholar
22.Vandenbroucke-Grauls, CMJE, Kerver, AJH, Rommes, JH, Jansen, R, den Dekker, C, Verhoef, J. Endemie Acinetobacter anitratus in a surgical intensive care unit: mechanical ventilators at reservoir. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 1988;7:485489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar