Related Experiment Videos

An outbreak of cutaneous aspergillosis in a tertiary-care hospital

E A Bryce1, M Walker, S Scharf

  • 1Division of Medical Microbiology, Vancouver Hospital, British Columbia, Canada.

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
|March 1, 1996
PubMed

Insights

Four patients developed wound aspergillosis from contaminated surgical dressing supplies. This hospital-acquired infection highlights the risk of Aspergillus spore contamination during supply chain management and construction.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Hospital Epidemiology
  • Infection Control

Background:

  • A cluster of four surgical and burn wound aspergillosis cases was identified in a tertiary-care hospital.
  • Aspergillosis is a serious fungal infection, particularly in immunocompromised patients or those with large wounds.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the source and transmission of a cluster of wound aspergillosis cases.
  • To identify the environmental contamination source leading to patient infections.

Main Methods:

  • Case investigation and epidemiological analysis.
  • Environmental sampling and source tracing of contaminated supplies.

Main Results:

  • The outbreak was linked to Aspergillus spore contamination on the exterior packaging of sterile dressing supplies.
  • Contamination originated from construction activities within the central Inventory Control area.
  • Patients with extensive wounds were directly inoculated with Aspergillus spores from the compromised supplies.

Conclusions:

  • External contamination of medical supplies can lead to severe hospital-acquired infections like aspergillosis.
  • Effective infection control requires vigilance over supply chain integrity, especially during facility renovations.
  • Preventing spore inoculation in patients with large exposed surface areas is critical.

Related Concept Videos