Korean J Nosocomial Infect Control.  2006 Jun;11(1):15-20.

Pseudobacteremic Outbreak of Leclercia adecarboxylata and Pseudomons aeruginosa Related to Contaminated Saline Cotton

• Sin CH
• Kim GJ
• Lee SD
• Nam HJ
• Kim CK
• Park SC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: During a 1-month period in 2005 , a series of 4 Leclercia adecarboxylata and 8 Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremias were reported from patients admitted to the emergency room.
METHODS
An outbreak of L. adecarboxylata and P. aeruginosa bacteremia that occurred from February to March 2005 was investigated. The infection control nurse reviewed medical records and observed the procedures of blood cultures at the clinical microbiology laboratory. Specimens were obtained for investigational cultures from alcohol sponge, tray, sink, water of sink, saline cotton, microscope, computer, and telephone.
RESULTS
L. adecarboxylata was isolated from 4 patients and P. aeruginosa from 8 patients during a 1-month period. Observation of the culture procedure revealed that saline cotton was used to prevent betadin skin discoloration. The culture of the saline solution yielded a heavy growth of P. aeruginosa, which was not isolated from any other specimens.
CONCLUSIONS
This was a pseudoepidemic caused by contaminated saline cotton. The use of the saline cotton was stopped, and during the follow-up period of 3 months, no additional L. adecarboxylata or P. aeruginosa bacteremia were reported.

Keyword

Bacteremia; Leclercia adecarboxylata; Pseudomonas aeruginosa

MeSH Terms

Bacteremia
Emergency Service, Hospital
Enterobacteriaceae*
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infection Control
Medical Records
Porifera
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Skin
Sodium Chloride
Telephone
Water
Sodium Chloride
Water