Transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria linked to previous intensive care occupants

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Staying in an intensive care room that was previously occupied by a patient with antibiotic-resistant bacteria increases the risk of infection.
Two specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria cause problems with hospital patients, particularly if they have to be in the intensive care unit. They are methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. We know that floors, beds, gowns, taps and other hospital fixtures and fittings tend to be contaminated with these antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, it is not known if the levels of bacteria existing in these locations are sufficient to cause infection and how best to remove them.

A team at Brigham and Women's Hospital now reports upon a 20 month study of 8,203 patients who had 11,528 stays in eight intensive care units. Cultures were taken to determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Fourteen per cent of the patients stayed in rooms where the previous occupant had had antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These patients had an increased risk of testing positive for antibiotic-resistant bacteria themselves. This occurred even though the cleaning procedures for these rooms were better than national guidelines. The number of cases attributed to the previous occupant of the room was five per cent - a small proportion but still potentially disastrous for the patient concerned. The researchers say that further research is needed to see whether more intensive cleaning might be able to reduce the risk acquiring antibiotic-resistant bacteria from the previous occupant of an intensive care room.

Source
Archives of Internal Medicine 9th October 2006 Volume 166 pages 1945-1951