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Nosocomial Pseudomonas aeruginosa Conjunctivitis in a Pediatric Hospital

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2017

Susan King ,
Shashi P. Devi ,
Cathy Mindorff ,
Mary Lou Patrick ,
Ronald Gold  and
E. Lee Ford-Jones
Susan King
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Shashi P. Devi
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Cathy Mindorff
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mary Lou Patrick
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Ronald Gold
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
E. Lee Ford-Jones*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
*
The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1X8
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Abstract

Conjunctivitis accounted for 5% of nosocomial infections occurring in a university-affiliated pediatric hospital between January 1984 and April 1986. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was recovered from the conjunctiva of 30 patients. The primary diseases of these patients were chronic and debilitating. Eighty percent of patients were under 18 months of age although only 30% of admissions are represented in this age group. Seventy percent of cases occurred in pediatric intensive care unit/neonatal intensive care unit patients. Seventy percent of patients who had antecedent nasopharyngeal/ endotracheal cultures obtained were colonized with P aeruginosa. All patients except one had one or more of the following interventions prior to the onset of conjunctivitis: tracheostomy, endotracheal tube, oxygen by hood, or suctioning. Two children (7.4%) have residual corneal scars. Improvements in eye care including protection of the eye during suctioning, other respiratory care, and nasogastric tube procedures are warranted.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , February 1988 , pp. 77 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1998 

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