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Pseudoepidemic of Urinary Tract Infections due to Trichosporon beigelii

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Judy Stone  and
Robert Manasse
Judy Stone*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, Cumberland, Maryland
Robert Manasse
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Memorial Hospital and Medical Center, Cumberland, Maryland
*
Memorial Hospital Medical Building, Cumberland, MD 21502
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Abstract

During the period April, 1985 to March, 1986, Trichosporon beigelii was isolated from the urine of 15 intensive care unit patients. All of these patients had Foley catheters in place at the time of T beigelii isolation. None of them had urinary tract infections on admission, and it was initially felt that this organism was a source of infection in these critically ill individuals. Subsequent investigation revealed this to be a pseudoepidemic secondary to contamination of the urinary catheter drainage system. Urine obtained by gravity drainage from the outlet port of urimeters yielded growth of T beigelii, whereas urines obtained concurrently from the proximal tubing sampling port were negative. T beigelii was isolated from the drainage port as well as from various items used in the collection and sampling of urine specimens. It is felt that these items were the source of perpetuation of this pseudoepidemic due to the repeated contamination and colonization of the distal portion of the urine catheter collection system. In-services to nursing and housekeeping personnel in the proper collection of urine specimens and cleaning of potentially contaminated items, the replacement of metal urine graduates with disposable plastic ones and increased monitoring of personnel's activities stopped the outbreak abruptly.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 10 , Issue 7 , July 1989 , pp. 312 - 315
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1989

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