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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following update today (September 5) regarding an earlier announcement on a cluster of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carriers in a medical ward:
In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, contact tracing has been performed. An 88-year-old female patient was confirmed as a carrier of VRE today, but without clinical symptoms. The patient concerned has been discharged.
The QEH Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) had met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. Strongly encouraging patients to perform hand hygiene;
2. Enhancing hand hygiene of staff;
3. Applying stringent contact precautions, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers;
4. Enhancing environmental and equipment decontamination; and
5. Applying an active surveillance culture for in-patients.
The case has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the CHP for necessary follow-up. The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.
Ends/Thursday, September 5, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:48
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