Prevalence and clinical relevance of Staphylococcus warneri in the neonatal intensive care unit.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of Staphylococcus warneri on the hands of nurses and the clinical relevance of this organism among neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).


METHODS
Prospective cohort study that examined the microbial flora on the hands of nurses and clinical isolates recovered from neonates during a 23-month period (March 1, 2001, through January 31, 2003).


METHODS
Two high-risk NICUs in New York City.


METHODS
All neonates hospitalized in the NICUs for more than 24 hours and all full-time nurses from the same NICUs who volunteered to participate.


METHODS
At baseline and then every 3 months, samples for culture were obtained from each nurse's cleaned dominant hand. Pulsed-field electrophoresis compared S. warneri isolates from neonates and staff.


RESULTS
Samples for culture (n=834) were obtained from the hands of 119 nurses; 520 (44%) of the 1,195 isolates of coagulase-negative staphylococci recovered were identified as S. warneri. Of the 647 clinically relevant isolates recovered from neonates, 17 (8%) of the 202 isolates that were identified to species level were S. warneri. Pulsed-field electrophoresis revealed a common strain of S. warneri that was shared among the nurses and neonates. Furthermore, 117 (23%) of 520 S. warneri isolates from nurses' hands had minimum inhibitory concentrations for vancomycin of 4 mu g/mL, which indicate decreasing susceptibility.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings that S. warneri can be pathogenic in neonates, is a predominant species of coagulase-negative staphylococci cultured from the hands of nurses, and has decreased vancomycin susceptibility underscore the importance of continued surveillance for vancomycin resistance and pathogenicity in pediatric care settings.
Cimiotti
Jeannie P
JP
Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. jcimiott@nursing.upenn.edu
Haas
Janet P
JP
Della-Latta
Phyllis
P
Wu
Fann
F
Saiman
Lisa
L
Larson
Elaine L
EL
D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D003030:Coagulase; D006225:Hand / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D015995:Prevalence; D013045:Species Specificity; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D003030:Coagulase; D014640:Vancomycin