Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-2pp2p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T05:25:23.080Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Two Epidemics of Pseudobacteremia Due to Staphylococcus aureus and Aerococcus viridans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Martin L. Spivack ,
Robert Shannon ,
George A. Natsios  and
Jan Wood
Martin L. Spivack*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Robert Shannon
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
George A. Natsios
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Jan Wood
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
*
Infectious Disease Section, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Two epidemics of pseudobacteremia are reported. The first, due to Staphyloccus aureus, was caused by a physician who had active staphylococcal skin infection and nasal colonization. Because the blood culture system in use at the time was open, and used screw cap bottles, we assume that the physician contaminated the bottles at the time of inoculation. The second outbreak, caused by Aerococcus viridans, was traced to contamination of the blood culture bottle tops as they were received from the manufacturer. We assume that there was inadequate disinfection of the bottle tops by the physicians prior to their use.

Information

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 1 , Issue 5 , October 1980 , pp. 321 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

1.Weinstein, RA, Stamm, WE. Pseudoepidemics in hospital. Lancet 1977,2:862–864.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1980.26:245.Google Scholar
3.Colman, G. Aerococcus-like organisms isolated from human infections. J Clin Path 1967,20:294–297.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4.Semel, JD, Trenholme, GM, Harris, AAet al. Pseudomonas maltophilia pseudosepticemia. Amer J Med 1978,64:403–406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Snydman, DR. Maloy, MF, Brock, SMet al. Pseudobacteremia: False positive blood cultures from mist tent contamination. Amer J Epidemiol 1977,106:154–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Hoffman, PC, Arnow, PM, Goldmann, DAet al. False positive blood cultures, association with non sterile blood collection tubes. JAMA 1976,236:2073–2075.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Kaslow, RA, Mackel, DC, Mallison, GF. Nosocomial pseudobacteremia: positive blood cultures due to contaminated benzalkonium antiseptic. JAMA 1976,236:2407–2409.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.DuClos, TN, Hodges, GR, Killian, JE. Bacterial contamination of blood drawing equipment: A cause of false-positive blood cultures. Amer J Med Sci 1973,277:459–463.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Norden, CW. Pseudosepticemia. Ann Int Med 1969,71:789–790.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10.Faris, HM, Sparling, FF. Mima polymorpha bacteremia: False-positive blood cultures due to contaminated penicillinase. JAMA 1972,219:76–77.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Noble, RC, Reeves, SA. Bacillus species Pseudosepsis caused by contaminated commercial blood culture media. JAMA 1974,230:1002–1004.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1979,28:82.Google Scholar
13.Lynch, JM, Anderson, A, Comacho, FRet al. Pseudobacteremia caused by Clostridium sordelli. Arch Int Med 1980,140:65–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Facklam, RR. Smith, PB. The gram positive cocci. Human Path 1976,7:187–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed