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Epidemiological Study of Hospital-Acquired Infection With Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Possible Transmission by an Electronic Ear-Probe Thermometer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Richard Porwancher ,
Anish Sheth ,
Susan Remphrey ,
Eileen Taylor ,
Cynthia Hinkle  and
Marcus Zervos
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Abstract

Clonal spread of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium among seven patients on one ward of a community teaching hospital was identified by contour-clamped homo-geneous electric-field gel electrophoresis. Environmental cultures isolated the same strain from the handle of a shared electronic ear-probe thermometer. Cross-contamination of the clonal strain between two geographically separate units on this ward, sharing equipment but not personnel, suggests the possibility of an environmental source.

Information

Type
Concise Communications
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 18 , Issue 11 , November 1997 , pp. 771 - 773
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1997 

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