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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (December 10):
A 73-year-old male patient admitted to the Department of Neurosurgery at QEH earlier due to stroke was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on December 6. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. Six male patients (aged 45 to 89) have been confirmed to be VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms. Four of the patients are hospitalised at QEH and the other two had been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further rehabilitation treatment. All are in stable condition, under medical surveillance and isolation.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
The Hospital Infection Control Team, the department concerned and experts from the Centre for Health Protection had a meeting today and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted:
1. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs;
2. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period; and
3. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene and environmental hygiene.
The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.
Ends/Monday, December 10, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:00
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