title: An outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul in a children's hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a nosocomial outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul gastroenteritis and to explore risk factors for infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 208-bed, university-affiliated children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients hospitalized at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, during February 2001 who had stool specimens obtained for culture at least 24 hours after admission. Case-patients (n = 11) were patients with an indistinguishable strain of Salmonella Saintpaul cultured from their stool. Control-patients (n = 41) were patients hospitalized for problems other than gastroenteritis whose stool cultures were negative for Salmonella.
  
  
  METHODS
  Risk factors were evaluated using the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Continuous variables were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. A multivariable analysis was performed using logistic regression. The predictor of interest was the receipt of enteral feeding formula mixed by the hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Case-patients were more likely than control-patients to have received formula mixed by the hospital (OR, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 17.16). Other variables evaluated were not significant predictors of Salmonella Saintpaul infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Formula mixed by the hospital appears to have been the source of this Salmonella outbreak. Strict sanitation measures must be ensured in formula preparation and delivery, and bacterial pathogens should be included in the differential diagnosis for nosocomial gastroenteritis.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
authors.forename: Rena
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bornemann
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Zerr
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heath
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grandjean
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pallipamu
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duchin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012480:Salmonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology