title: A cluster of hemodialysis-related bacteremia linked to artificial fingernails.
abstract: We examined a cluster of 5 hemodialysis patients who contracted gram-negative bacteremia. A nurse who used an artificial fingernail to open a vial of heparin that was mixed to make a flush solution had a culture of an artificial fingernail specimen positive for Serratia marcescens. The typing of the S. marcescens strains isolated from the 5 patients and the nurse showed them to be identical. This finding provides strong support for policies prohibiting artificial nails for healthcare workers in all hemodialysis units.
authors.affiliation: Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington, DC 20422, USA. fred.gordin@va.gov
authors.forename: Fred M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gordin
authors.forename: Maureen E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: Sabiha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zubairi
authors.forename: Frida
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kariyil
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D001505:Beauty Culture; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D006235:Hand Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000379:methods* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D009262:Nails / Q000382:microbiology*; D009740:Nursing Staff; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016868:Serratia Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000302:isolation & purification*