Management of an Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak in an intensive care unit

Acinetobacter baumannii is a ubiquitous pathogen resistant to desiccation and responsible for healthcare-associated infections (HAI), especially in intensive care units (ICU) where it is responsible for 5-10% of HAIs. An A. baumannii outbreak occurred in the ICU of the University Hospital of Angers, France.

To describe the A. baumannii outbreak and to evaluate the control measures taken. The secondary objective was to evaluate the impact of the electronic alert system on the incidence of multidrug resistance to antibiotics.

We performed a descriptive study of A. baumannii carriers during the outbreak. Case contacts and carriers were described using the epidemic curve and a case synopsis table.

From August 2011 to September 2013, 49 patients presenting with an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing A. baumannii infection were identified: thirty-four were colonized and 15 were infected. No death was due to the outbreak. Measures taken were: geographical and technical isolation of patients, dedicated team implementation, contact precaution implementation including hand hygiene measures, appropriate use of gloves, and reinforcement of bio-cleaning procedures.

Some patients were re-admitted to hospital while still being carriers; this could explain epidemic peaks. The immersion mission of the hygiene nurse contributed to answering healthcare workers' queries and led to a better cooperation between the ICU and the hygiene team.