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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 24):
A 77-year-old male patient with chronic illness was admitted to the Department of Medicine at QEH due to neutropenic fever and succumbed on December 17. On December 20 it was confirmed that the deceased patient had been carrying Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), but his blood culture was negative. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. Six male patients (aged 48 to 87) have been confirmed as VRE carriers, all without clinical symptoms. Four of the patients are hospitalised at QEH and the other two have been transferred to Kowloon Hospital for further rehabilitation treatment. All the patients are under medical surveillance and in isolation with stable condition.
Regarding an earlier announcement on the confirmation of some in-patients in a male neurosurgical ward as VRE carriers, one more 48-year-old male patient has been confirmed as a VRE carrier during contact tracing, without clinical symptoms. He was transferred to Kowloon Hospital on December 22. He is now under isolation treatment and in a stable condition.
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 of 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 cohort 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 in the ward.
Ends/Monday, December 24, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:14
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