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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 (May 8):
A 79-year-old female patient of a medical ward in QEH was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on April 29. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. A total of seven more female patients (aged 62 to 100) who had stayed in the same ward were confirmed to be VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. All patients are under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) for necessary follow-up.
The QEH Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the CHP have met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. Having the "Multiple Drug Resistant Organisms Cleansing Team" provide enhanced environmental cleansing for patients carrying multiple-drug resistant organisms.
2. Arranging for Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor disinfection for commonly used equipment.
3. Applying stringent contact precautions, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers and enhanced hand hygiene.
4. Treating all VRE carriers in isolation rooms or cohorts according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs.
5. Limiting visiting to two people per patient during each visiting period.
The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.
Ends/Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:43
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