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Serratia marcescens-a marker for an infection control program

T J Marrie, M A Noble, E V Haldane

    Infection Control : IC
    |March 1, 1982
    PubMed
    Summary

    Implementing an infection control program significantly reduced Serratia infections in a hospital. Using Serratia marcescens as a marker demonstrated the program's effectiveness in controlling nosocomial infections.

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    Area of Science:

    • Infectious Diseases
    • Hospital Epidemiology
    • Microbiology

    Background:

    • Serratia marcescens infections were a significant nosocomial problem at Victoria General Hospital, affecting 225-232 patients annually.
    • The hospital, an 800-bed acute care facility, initiated an infection control program in July 1977.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the effectiveness of a newly instituted infection control program.
    • To use Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) as a marker organism to monitor infection control efficacy.
    • To identify and eliminate reservoirs of S. marcescens within the hospital.

    Main Methods:

    • Serratia infections/colonizations (I/c) were tracked from 1977 to 1980.
    • Key reservoirs including contaminated medical equipment and readmitted patients were identified and addressed.

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  • The prevalence of gentamicin-resistant S. marcescens isolates was monitored.

    • Main Results:

    • The number of patients infected or colonized with S. marcescens decreased from 225-232 annually to 120 in 1980.
    • Gentamicin-resistant S. marcescens isolates dropped significantly from 44% in 1977 to 4.4% in 1980.
    • The infection control program successfully identified and eliminated multiple S. marcescens reservoirs.

    Conclusions:

    • Utilizing Serratia marcescens as a marker effectively monitored the infection control program's success.
    • The program demonstrated significant reduction in nosocomial S. marcescens infections and antimicrobial resistance.
    • The findings validated the usefulness of implemented infection control measures to healthcare workers.