Serratia marcescens bacteremia – an indicator for outbreak management and heightened surveillance
-
Elizabeth E. Gillespie
Abstract
Colonization of neonatal intensive care units by Serratia marcescens is associated with clinical outbreaks. We report the management of an outbreak in a newborn services unit (NBS), in 2004, of a strain of S. marcescens that was present in the unit from 1994. Over the 10-year period, increases in clinical isolates demonstrated three epidemic curves, each spanning 3–4 years and each involving positive blood cultures.
In 2004, clinical isolates of S. marcescens bacteremia prompted an investigation. Control measures including screening, creation of a separate unit, use of contact precautions, education, environmental sampling, strategies to reduce overcrowding, surveillance and molecular epidemiological techniques were implemented.
In total, 99 babies were either colonized or infected with S. marcescens between December 2003 and December 2005. Isolates were tested with ribotyping identifying one main endemic strain. No environmental source was found, however, the outbreak terminated following adherence to infection control principles. Epidemiological information, structural and practice changes were used to prevent transmission and control the outbreak.
©2007 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin New York
Articles in the same Issue
- European consensus guidelines on the management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
- Hypogastric artery ligation for severe hemorrhage in obstetric patients
- Hypogastric artery ligation: a stitch in time
- Labor induction in preeclampsia: Is misoprostol more effective than dinoprostone?
- Neurokinin B levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood in preeclamptic and normal pregnancies
- Intrauterine infection induced oligodendrocyte injury and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the developing rat brain
- Chaotic indices and canonical ensemble of heart rate patterns in small-for-gestational age fetuses
- The cisterna magna size in normal second-trimester fetuses
- Type and number of sites colonized by fungi and risk of progression to invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates in neonatal intensive care unit
- Serratia marcescens bacteremia – an indicator for outbreak management and heightened surveillance
- A device for adsorbing unbound, unconjugated bilirubin and its effects in vitro and in a hyperbilirubinemic newborn piglet
- The influence of thermal environment on pulmonary hemodynamic acclimation to extrauterine life in normal full-term neonates
- Justifying the “Folate trap” in folic acid fortification programs
- Immune functions after severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome
- Are recurrent hyperglycemic episodes and median blood glucose level a prognostic factor for increased morbidity and mortality in premature infants ≤1500 g?
- Gastroschisis: primary closure using umbilical cord strengthened by a polypropylene mesh
- Neonatal antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of early- and late-onset Group B streptococcal sepsis
- Reply
- Management of a rare cause of neonatal airway obstruction: cervical teratoma
- Congress Calendar
Articles in the same Issue
- European consensus guidelines on the management of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome
- Hypogastric artery ligation for severe hemorrhage in obstetric patients
- Hypogastric artery ligation: a stitch in time
- Labor induction in preeclampsia: Is misoprostol more effective than dinoprostone?
- Neurokinin B levels in maternal and umbilical cord blood in preeclamptic and normal pregnancies
- Intrauterine infection induced oligodendrocyte injury and inducible nitric oxide synthase expression in the developing rat brain
- Chaotic indices and canonical ensemble of heart rate patterns in small-for-gestational age fetuses
- The cisterna magna size in normal second-trimester fetuses
- Type and number of sites colonized by fungi and risk of progression to invasive fungal infection in preterm neonates in neonatal intensive care unit
- Serratia marcescens bacteremia – an indicator for outbreak management and heightened surveillance
- A device for adsorbing unbound, unconjugated bilirubin and its effects in vitro and in a hyperbilirubinemic newborn piglet
- The influence of thermal environment on pulmonary hemodynamic acclimation to extrauterine life in normal full-term neonates
- Justifying the “Folate trap” in folic acid fortification programs
- Immune functions after severe twin-twin transfusion syndrome
- Are recurrent hyperglycemic episodes and median blood glucose level a prognostic factor for increased morbidity and mortality in premature infants ≤1500 g?
- Gastroschisis: primary closure using umbilical cord strengthened by a polypropylene mesh
- Neonatal antibiotic prophylaxis for the prevention of early- and late-onset Group B streptococcal sepsis
- Reply
- Management of a rare cause of neonatal airway obstruction: cervical teratoma
- Congress Calendar
