Obenhuber T, Scheier TC, Stutz T, Hug M, Fontein D, Kaiser A, Schoene S, Steiger P, Brugger SD, Zingg W, Schreiber PW. An outbreak of multi-drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii on a burns ICU and its control with multi-faceted containment measures.
J Hosp Infect 2024;
146:102-108. [PMID:
38219836 DOI:
10.1016/j.jhin.2024.01.002]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Patients in burns centres are at high risk of acquiring multi-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) due to the reduced skin barrier and long hospital stay.
METHODS
This study reports the investigation and control of an outbreak of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii in a burns centre. The 27 patients hospitalized in the centre during the outbreak were screened regularly, and a total of 132 environmental samples were analysed to identify a potential source. Fourier-transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectroscopy and multi-locus sequence typing were applied to characterize the outbreak strain.
RESULTS
Between August and November 2022, the outbreak affected eight patients, with 11 infections and three potentially related fatal outcomes. An interdisciplinary and multi-professional outbreak team implemented a bundle strategy with repetitive admission stops, isolation precaution measures, patient screenings, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, and staff education. FT-IR spectroscopy suggested that the outbreak started from a patient who had been repatriated 1 month previously from a country with high prevalence of MDR A. baumannii. Environmental sampling did not identify a common source. Acquisition of the outbreak strain was associated with a higher percentage of body surface area with burn lesions ≥2a [per percent increase: odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99-1.12; P=0.09], and inversely associated with a higher nurse-to-patient ratio (per 0.1 increase: OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.10-1.12; P=0.06).
CONCLUSIONS
Burn patients with a higher percentage of body surface area with burn lesions ≥2a are at high risk of colonization and infection due to MDROs, particularly during periods of high workload. A multi-faceted containment strategy can successfully control outbreaks due to MDR A. baumannii in a burns centre.
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