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Acquisition of Multidrug-Resistant Serratia marcescens by Critically Ill Patients Who Consumed Tap Water During Receipt of Oral Medication

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Juan P. Horcajada ,
Jose Antonio Martinez ,
Amalia Alcón ,
Francesc Marco ,
Elisa De Lazzari ,
Anastacio de Matos ,
Magda Zaragoza ,
Montse Sallés ,
Elisabeth Zavala  and
Josep Mensa
Juan P. Horcajada*
Affiliation:
Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain
Jose Antonio Martinez
Affiliation:
Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Amalia Alcón
Affiliation:
Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Francesc Marco
Affiliation:
Service of Microbiology, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Elisa De Lazzari
Affiliation:
Unitat d'Avaluació, Suport i Prevenció, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Anastacio de Matos
Affiliation:
Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Magda Zaragoza
Affiliation:
Unitat d'Avaluació, Suport i Prevenció, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Montse Sallés
Affiliation:
Unitat d'Avaluació, Suport i Prevenció, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Elisabeth Zavala
Affiliation:
Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
Josep Mensa
Affiliation:
Service of Infectious Diseases, Hospital Clinic Universitari-IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
*
Infectious Diseases Unit, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria, Santander, Spain (jhorcaja@yahoo.es)
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Abstract

We describe an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Serratia marcescens infection and colonization involving adults admitted to a surgical intensive care unit. Examination of the outbreak revealed epidemiological evidence that consumption of tap water from a contaminated faucet during receipt of oral medication was the mechanism of S. marcescens acquisition.

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 27 , Issue 7 , July 2006 , pp. 774 - 777
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2006

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