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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 (April 24):
A 66-year-old male patient in an orthopaedics and traumatology ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital was confirmed as a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on April 19. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. A total of seven other patients (aged 44 to 85) who stayed in the same ward were also confirmed as VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. All patients are under medical surveillance and isolation are 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 QEH Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. "Multiple Drug Resistant Organisms Cleansing Team" to provide enhanced environmental cleansing for patients carrying multiple-drug resistant organisms.
2. Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor disinfection to be arranged for commonly used equipment.
3. Stringent contact precautions to be applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers and enhanced hand hygiene.
4. All VRE carriers to be treated in isolation rooms or cohort according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs
5. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period
The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation at the ward.
Ends/Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:56
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