Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Giuseppe]

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK). Edited.]

Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (December 10):

A 73-year-old male patient admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at QEH earlier due to stroke was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on December 6.

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient.

Six male patients (aged 45 to 89) have been confirmed to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms.

Four of the patients are hospitalised at QEH and the other two had been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further rehabilitation treatment.

All are in stable condition, under medical surveillance and isolation.

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, the department concerned and experts from the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:

1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;
2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and
3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.

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Ends/Monday, December 10, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:00
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]

Update on cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases at Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

Regarding the earlier announcement on confirmation that some in-patients were carriers of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital made the following update today (December 14):

In accordance with prevailing infection control guidelines, screening of contacts has been performed.

Three patients (two male and one female, aged 34 to 91) have been confirmed as VRE carriers during contact tracing, without clinical symptoms.

All are in a stable condition and two male patients have been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further treatment.

The hospital will continue the enhanced infection control measures and closely monitor the situation.

The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

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Ends/Friday, December 14, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:36
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]

Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (December 17):

A 79-year-old male patient admitted to the Department of Surgery at QEH earlier due to abdominal pain was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on December 12.

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient.

Five patients (one male and four female, aged 61 to 95) have been confirmed to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms.

Four of the patients are hospitalised at QEH. All are in stable condition and under medical surveillance and isolation. The other two have been discharged.

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, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:

1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;
2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and
3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.


Ends/Monday, December 17, 2012
Issued at HKT 18:28
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full page: (LINK).]

Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (December 24):

A 77-year-old male patient with chronic illness was admitted to the Department of Medicine at QEH due to neutropenic fever and succumbed on December 17.

On December 20 it was confirmed that the deceased patient had been carrying Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), but his blood culture was negative.

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient.

Six male patients (aged 48 to 87) have been confirmed as VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms.

Four of the patients are hospitalised at QEH and the other two have been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further rehabilitation treatment. All the patients are under medical surveillance and in isolation with stable condition.

Regarding an earlier announcement on the confirmation of some in-patients in a male neurosurgical ward as VRE carriers, one more 48-year-old male patient has been confirmed as a VRE carrier during contact tracing, without clinical symptoms. He was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on December 22. He is now under isolation treatment and in a stable condition.

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, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:

1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohort according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;

2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and

3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation in the ward.


Ends/Monday, December 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:14
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]

Update on cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

Regarding an earlier announcement on the confirmation of some in-patients as carriers of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following update today (December 27):

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, screening of contacts has been performed.

One more 75-year-old female surgical patient and three more male medical patients (aged 58 to 82) have been confirmed as VRE carriers without clinical symptoms.

Amongst these four patients, two are hospitalised at QEH and the other two have been transferred to Kowloon Hospital. All of them are now under isolation treatment and in stable condition.

The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

The following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted after discussion between the Hospital Infection Control Team, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection.

1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;

2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and

3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the wards.


Ends/Thursday, December 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:42
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]

Update on cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

Regarding an earlier announcement on the confirmation of some neurosurgical in-patients as carriers of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following update today (January 4):

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, screening of contacts has been performed.

One more 62-year-old male neurosurgical patient has been confirmed as a VRE carrier without clinical symptoms.

The patient is now under isolation treatment and is in stable condition.

The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.

The following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted after discussion between the Hospital Infection Control Team, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection.

1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;
2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and
3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.


Ends/Friday, January 4, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:54
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[Giuseppe]

Re: Hong Kong, Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (December 10 2012)

[Source: Hospital Authority, Hong Kong PRC SAR, full text: (LINK).]

Cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci cases in Queen Elizabeth Hospital


The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (January 14):

A 76-year-old male patient admitted to a surgical ward and intensive care unit at QEH earlier due to chronic duodenal ulcer with perforation was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on January 4.

In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient.

Four male patients (aged 41 to 96) have been confirmed to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms.

Two of the patients are hospitalised at QEH and the other two had been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further rehabilitation treatment. All the patients are under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition.

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, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:

1. A dedicated cleansing team has been set up to enhance environmental cleansing for patients carrying multiple-drug resistant organism;
2. Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor disinfection for commonly-used equipment is to be arranged;
3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene ;
4. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohort according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs; and
5. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period.

The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.


Ends/Monday, January 14, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:14
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