Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T18:02:42.295Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Association of Bacillus cereus Infection with Contaminated Alcohol Prep Pads

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Susan A. Dolan ,
Cynthia Littlehorn ,
Mary P. Glodé ,
Elaine Dowell ,
Karen Xavier ,
Ann-Christine Nyquist  and
James K. Todd
Susan A. Dolan*
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
Cynthia Littlehorn
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
Mary P. Glodé
Affiliation:
Section of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
Elaine Dowell
Affiliation:
Department of Microbiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado
Karen Xavier
Affiliation:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado
Ann-Christine Nyquist
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Section of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
James K. Todd
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Department of Microbiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Section of Infectious Diseases, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
*
Department of Epidemiology, Children's Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045 ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background.

Bacillus species have caused healthcare-associated outbreaks of invasive disease as well as pseudo-outbreaks. We report an outbreak investigation of blood cultures positive for Bacillus cereus associated with alcohol prep pads (APPs) contaminated with B. cereus and Bacillus species resulting in a rapid internal product recall and subsequent international product recall.

Design.

Epidemiologic and microbiologic outbreak investigation.

Setting.

A 300-bed tertiary care children's hospital in Aurora, Colorado.

Patients.

Patients with blood or cerebrospinal fluid cultures positive for B. cereus.

Methods.

Three patients with blood cultures positive for B. cereus were identified in late 2010. Breaches in procedural and surgical techniques, common interventions, and products were explored. The following 3 common products were cultured: sterile saline syringes, chlorhexidine/alcohol skin preparation solution, and APPs. Repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction (Rep-PCR) was used to compare isolates obtained from patients and from APPs and was confirmed by independent pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Results.

There appeared to be a significant increase in blood cultures positive for B. cereus during 2009-2010. B. cereus and other Bacillus species were cultured from the internal contents of 63.3% of APPs not labeled as sterile, and 8 of the 10 positive lots were manufactured after 2007. None of the isolates obtained from the patients matched strains isolated from the APPs. However, some lots of APPs had strains that were indistinguishable from one another.

Conclusions.

APPs that were not labeled as sterile were contaminated with Bacillus species. The product was immediately recalled internally and replaced with APPs from another manufacturer that were labeled as sterile. On January 3, 2011, the manufacturer voluntarily recalled its APPs. Healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, and users of APPs should avoid the use of APPs not specifically labeled as sterile.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 33 , Issue 7 , July 2012 , pp. 666 - 671
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2012

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. Logan, NA, Hoffmaster, AR, Shadomy, SV, Stauffer, KE. Bacillus and other aerobic endospore-forming bacteria. In: Versalovic, J, Carroll, KC, Funke, G, Jorgensen, JH, Landry, ML, Warnock, DW, eds. Manual of Clinical Microbiology. Vol 1, 10th ed. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology, 2011:381–402.Google Scholar
2. Ahmed, RP, Sankar-Mistry, P, Jackson, S, Ackermann, HW, Ka-satiya, SS. Bacillus cereus phage typing as an epidemiological tool in outbreaks of food poisoning. J Clin Microbiol 1995;33: 636–640.Google Scholar
3. Ihde, DC, Armstrong, D. Clinical spectrum of infection due to Bacillus species. Am J Med 1973;5:839–845.Google Scholar
4. Tuazon, CU, Murray, HW, Levy, C, Solny, MN, Curtin, JA, Shea-gren, JN. Serious infections from Bacillus sp. JAMA 1979;241: 1137–1140.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Christenson, JC, Byington, C, Korgenski, EK, et al. Bacillus cereus infections among oncology patients at a children's hospital. Am J Infect Control 1999;27:543–546.Google Scholar
6. Arnaout, MK, Tamurrro, RF, Bodner, SM, et al. Bacillus cereus causing fulminant sepsis and hemolysis in two patients with acute leukemia. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol 1999;21:431–435.Google Scholar
7. Gaur, AH, Patrick, CC, McCullers, JA, et al. Bacillus cereus bacteremia and meningitis in immunocompromised children. Clin Infect Dis 2001;32:1456–1462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Hilliard, NJ, Schelonka, RL, Waites, KB. Bacillus cereus bacteremia in a preterm neonate. J Clin Microbiol 2003;41:3441–3444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Ozkocarnan, V, Ozcelik, T, Ali, R, et al. Bacillus spp. among hospitalized patients with haematological malignancies: clinical features, epidemics and outcomes. J Hosp Infect 2006;64:169–174.Google Scholar
10. Bryce, EA, Smith, JZ, Tweeddale, M, Andruschak, BJ, Maxwell, MR. Dissemination of Bacillus cereus in an intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1993;14:459–462.Google Scholar
11. Gray, J, George, RH, Durbin, GM, Ewer, AK, Hocking, MD, Morgan, ME. An outbreak of Bacillus cereus respiratory tract infections on a neonatal unit due to contaminated ventilator circuits. J Hosp Infect 1999;41:19–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Van Der Zwet, WC, Parlevliet, GA, Savelkoul, PH, et al. Outbreak of Bacillus cereus infections in a neonatal intensive care unit traced to balloons used in manual ventilation. J Clin Microbiol 2000;38:4131–4136.Google Scholar
13. Kalpoe, JS, Hogenbirk, K, van Maarseveen, NM, et al. Dissemination of Bacillus cereus in a paediatric intensive care unit traced to insufficient disinfection of reusable ventilator air-flow sensors. J Hosp Infect 2008;68:341–347.Google Scholar
14. Sasahara, T, Hayashi, S, Morisawa, Y, Sakihama, T, Yoshimura, A, Hira, Y. Bacillus cereus bacteremia outbreak due to contaminated hospital linens. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2011;30:219–226.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Noble, RC, Reeves, SA. Bacillus species Pseudosepsis caused by contaminated commercial blood culture media. J Am Med Assoc 1974;230:1002–1004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16. Gurevich, I, Tafuro, P, Krystofiak, SP, Kalter, SP, Cunha, BA. Three clusters of Bacillus pseudobacteremia related to a radiometric blood culture analyzer. Infect Control 1984;5:71–74.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17. Goldstein, B, Abrutyn, E. Pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus species: related to fiberoptic bronchoscopy. J Hosp Infect 1985;6:194–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Richardson, AJ, Rothburn, MM, Roberts, C. Pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus species: related to fiberoptic bronchoscopy. J Hosp Infect 1986;7:208–210.Google Scholar
19. York, MK. Bacillus species pseudobacteremia traced to contaminated gloves used in collection of blood from patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. J Clin Microbiol 1990; 28:2114–2116.Google Scholar
20. Morrell, RM, Wasilauskas, BL. Tracking laboratory contamination by using a Bacillus cereus pseudoepidemic as an example. J Clin Microbiol 1992;30:1469–1473.Google Scholar
21. Morris, T, Brecher, SM, Fitzsimmons, D, Durbin, A, Arbeit, RD, Maslow, JN. A pseudoepidemic due to laboratory contamination deciphered by molecular analysis. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;16:82–87.Google Scholar
22. Loeb, M, Wilcos, L, Thronley, D, Gun-Munro, J, Richardson, H. Bacillus species pseudobacteremia following hospital construction. Can J Infect Control 1995;10:37–40.Google Scholar
23. Lui, PYF, Ke, SC, Chen, SL. Use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis to investigate a pseudo-outbreak of Bacillus cereus in a pediatric unit. J Clin Microbiol 1997;35:1533–1535.Google Scholar
24. Ohsaki, Y, Kayano, S, Tachibana, M, et al. Undetected Bacillus pseudo-outbreak after renovation work in a teaching hospital. J Infect 2007;53:673–687.Google Scholar
25. Meites, E, Taur, Y, Marino, L, et al. Investigation of increased rates of isolation of Bacillus species. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2010;31:1257–1263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26. Pullen, G, Dahl, K, Bulgara, J. Outbreak of pseudobacteremia with Bacillus species at a children's hospital traced to dust contamination of blood collection supplies on open shelving. In: Program and abstracts of the 32nd Annual Educational Conference and International Meeting of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control. Baltimore, MD: Association for Professionals in Infection Control, 2005. Abstract 54120.Google Scholar
27. Hsueh, PR, Teng, LJ, Yang, PC, Pan, HL, Ho, SW, Lüh, KT. Nosocomial pseudoepidemic caused by Bacillus cereus traced to contaminated ethyl alcohol from a liquor factory. J Clin Microbiol 1999;37:2280–2284.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28. Berger, SA. Pseudobacteremia due to contaminated alcohol swabs. J Clin Microbiol 1983;18:974–975.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29. US Food and Drug Administration. Triad group issues a voluntary nationwide recall of all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks due to potential microbial contamination. http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm239219.htm. Accessed January 6, 2011.Google Scholar
30. US Food and Drug Administration. Federal government takes action against drug manufacturer and distributor. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm258864.htm. Accessed June 13, 2011.Google Scholar
31. Dolan, SA, Dowell, E, LiPuma, JJ, Valez, S, Chan, K, James, JF. An outbreak of Burkholderia cepacia complex associated with intrinsically contaminated nasal spray. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2011;32:804–810.Google Scholar