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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Regarding an earlier announcement on the confirmation of some in-patients as carriers of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE), the spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following update today (December 27):
In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, screening of contacts has been performed. One more 75-year-old female surgical patient and three more male medical patients (aged 58 to 82) have been confirmed as VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. Amongst these four patients, two are hospitalised at QEH and the other two have been transferred to Kowloon Hospital. All of them are now under isolation treatment and in stable condition.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
The following enhanced infection control measures have been adopted after discussion between the Hospital Infection Control Team, the department concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection.
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 wards.
Ends/Thursday, December 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 19:42
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