Giuseppe
Emeritus
[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]
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Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases at Queen Elizabeth Hospital
25 October 2011
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (October 25):
A 67-year-old stroke male patient admitted to QEH was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on October 18, and he had been confirmed to be Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier through surveillance on October 22.
In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient in the same period and confirmed three male patients (aged 32 to 81) to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms. Two of them are hospitalised at QEH and the other one has been transferred to United Christian Hospital. All of them are in stable condition and under medical surveillance and isolation.
The laboratory screening for other related patients continues to be in progress.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up.
The Hospital Infection Control Team, front-line staff of department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted:
-25 October 2011
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (October 25):
A 67-year-old stroke male patient admitted to QEH was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on October 18, and he had been confirmed to be Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier through surveillance on October 22.
In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient in the same period and confirmed three male patients (aged 32 to 81) to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms. Two of them are hospitalised at QEH and the other one has been transferred to United Christian Hospital. All of them are in stable condition and under medical surveillance and isolation.
The laboratory screening for other related patients continues to be in progress.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow up.
The Hospital Infection Control Team, front-line staff of department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted:
- All VRE carriers are being isolated in rooms or cohorted in the same cubicle;
- All new cases will be admitted to designated cubicles; VRE carriers and non-carriers are cared by two separate teams of nursing staff to prevent from cross transmission;
- Visiting is limited to two people per patient; and
- The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to monitor the ward- hand hygiene, environmental hygiene and remind staff to pay special attention to procedures that carry a higher risk of cross transmission.
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