title: An outbreak of group A streptococcal bacteremia in an intensive care unit.
abstract: Admission of a patient with group A streptococcal cellulitis and bacteremia to the intensive care unit of a tertiary care teaching hospital was followed by two subsequent cases of group A streptococcal bacteremia with pneumonia in the unit. All streptococcal isolates were the same M- and T-type. Endotracheal intubation with respiratory ventilation was a risk factor for disease acquisition. The characteristics of onset of the two nosocomially acquired cases suggested that a staff member may have been, at least transiently, a streptococcal carrier, but no such carrier was identified. No further cases occurred subsequent to a period when all patients in the unit received antibiotics effective for group A streptococcal therapy.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002981:Clindamycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010406:Penicillins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014031:Tobramycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D010406:Penicillins; D002981:Clindamycin; D014031:Tobramycin