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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority (HA):
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (February 12):
A 48-year-old female stroke patient admitted to QEH was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on February 1, and she had been confirmed to be Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on February 2. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient and confirmed three female patients (aged 59 to 91) to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms. Two of them are hospitalised at QEH and the other one at Kowloon Hospital. All of them are in stable condition and under medical surveillance and isolation.
The cases have been reported to the HA Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) for necessary follow up.
The Hospital Infection Control Team, staff of department concerned and experts of the CHP had a meeting yesterday (February 11) and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:
1. All VRE carriers are being isolated in isolation rooms;
2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period;
3. Stringent contact precaution is applied, dedicated use of non-critical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene. The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation.
Ends/Sunday, February 12, 2012
Issued at HKT 17:31
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