title: Polymicrobial ventriculitis and evaluation of an outbreak in a surgical intensive care unit due to inadequate sterilization.
abstract: At the end of 1999, a case of polymicrobial ventriculitis in the Department of Neurosurgery followed by an outbreak of Serratia marcescens mediastinitis in the intensive care unit of cardiovascular surgery occurred. These nosocomial surgical infections were considered to be the result of contamination of surgical sites with inadequately sterilized instruments or theatre linen. An epidemiological survey was focused on the central sterilization unit of the hospital. The microbiological results of this survey proved that the cause of the outbreak was the use of inadequately decontaminated theatre linen. This study indicates that strict infection control measures including the control of sterilization procedures and a well-organized infection control team are necessary to prevent nosocomial surgical infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey. desel@hotmail.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doganay
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bozdemir
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tezcaner
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sumerkan
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Aygen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Selcuklu
mesh_terms: D000151:Acinetobacter Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007710:Klebsiella Infections; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000209:etiology*; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D012706:Serratia marcescens; D013242:Sterilization; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology*; D017287:Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt