title: Presence of polyclonal Pseudomonas aeruginosa in an intensive care unit: a 27-month prospective study on molecular epidemiology.
abstract: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated in 22.2% of 305 intensive care unit environmental cultures. A high genetic heterogeneity (18 pulsotypes) was evident. Taps and related surfaces were a stable reservoir for certain pulsotypes. The 15.4% of the P. aeruginosa-positive cultures were polyclonal. Different colony morphotypes should be assayed in surveillance studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cortés
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mariscal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vallés
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coll
mesh_terms: D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology