Use of Stool Surveillance Cultures with Heightened Infection Control to Reduce the Spread of Carbapenem-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (original) (raw)

Abstract

Background: K. pneumoniae (KP) possessing the carbapenemase KPC have become prevalent in many medical centers.Controlling their spread is essential for preserving the utility of carbapenem antibiotics. Methods: Carbapenem-resistant (CR) KP were endemic in a 10 bed medical-surgical ICU in a tertiary care medical center. From 2004-2005, admission and weekly stool surveillance cultures were screened for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and CR A. baumannii (AB). Beginning in 2006, stool cultures were also screened for CR KP and P. aeruginosa (PA). Greater attention was also given to hand sanitization, cohorting patients and terminal cleaning. Antibiotic use in the ICU was calculated as defined daily doses. The review of infection control and microbiology records identified patients with clinical cultures yielding VRE and CR Gram-negative pathogens. Results were tabulated as patients with new positive clinical cultures per 1000 patient days per quarterly (three months) interval. Re...

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