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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 (August 27):
A 72-year-old male patient of a medical ward was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on August 21 . In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. A total of 11 more male patients (aged 50 to 89) who had stayed in the same ward were confirmed to be VRE carriers without clinical symptoms.
Moreover, QEH earlier announced the confirmation of a cluster of patients as carriers of VRE in another medical ward. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, contact tracing has been performed. Seven more female patients (aged 75 to 99) are confirmed to be VRE carriers, but without clinical symptoms. The concerned patients are still hospitalised and under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition. One of them has been discharged.
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 had met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. Strongly encouraging patients to perform hand hygiene;
2. Enhancing hand hygiene, including for mobile staff;
3. Applying stringent contact precautions, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers;
4. Enhancing environmental and equipment decontamination; and
5. Following an active surveillance culture for in-patients.
The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.
Ends/Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Issued at HKT 20:21
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