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Infrequent Isolation of Multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii From the Staff Tending a Colonized Patient With Severe Burns

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Teemu Paavilainen
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Markku Alanen
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Mika Mäkelä
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Marianne Routamaa
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Helinä Järvinen
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Pentti Huovinen
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
Pirkko Kotilainen*
Affiliation:
Antimicrobial Research Laboratory, National Public Health Institute, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland
*
Department of Medicine, Turku University Central Hospital, Kiinamyllynkatu 4-8, 20520 Turku, Finland

Abstract

A patient with severe burns who was colonized by multiresistant Acinetobacter baumannii was cared for in contact isolation by staff intensively trained on hospital hygiene. Of the 1,907 post-exposure cultures from the staff and 425 environmental samples, only 0.7% and 4%, respectively, yielded this microorganism. These data show that strict hygienic measures may limit staff colonization and contamination of the environment by A baumannii.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2001

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