Single-source outbreak of Candida tropicalis complicating coronary bypass surgery.
Candida tropicalis was isolated from the sternal wounds of eight coronary bypass patients from 18 to 89 days postoperatively; infections were limited to soft tissue in five patients but involved the sternum in three patients. Analysis of surgery records implicated one individual as the potential source of the yeast; this was confirmed by microbiological studies of fingertips and nasopharynx cultures of all personnel in contact with these patients. Only the suspect nurse, then acting as a scrub nurse and not as a circulator, infected the eight patients. Her removal from the cardiac team terminated the cluster outbreak.
Isenberg
H D
HD
Division of Microbiology, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New Hyde Park, New York.
Tucci
V
V
Cintron
F
F
Singer
C
C
Weinstein
G S
GS
Tyras
D H
DH
D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009305:Nasopharynx / Q000382:microbiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*