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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 (July 22):
Five male patients (aged 35 to 80) of a Ventilator Ward have been confirmed as having Multi-drug Resistant Acinetobacter (MDRA) since July 14. Two of them are infected cases and are still hospitalised at QEH. The remaining three patients were confirmed to be MDRA carriers without clinical symptoms. Out of these cases, two are still hospitalised under medical surveillance and isolation at QEH. The remaining patient has been transferred to Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital. All of the five patients are in stable condition.
Acinetobacter is a bacteria which is commonly found in water and soil. It can also colonise or live in a patient without causing infection or symptoms. However, it may sometimes cause disease in patients with a weakened immune system.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection. The Hospital Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts from the Centre for Health Protection held a meeting and the following enhanced infection control measures have already been adopted in the Ventilator Ward:
1. Stringent contact precautions have been applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to affected patients, and enhanced hand hygiene with monitoring by designated colleagues;
2. Environmental cleaning has been enhanced;
3. Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor disinfection for commonly used equipment is to be arranged;
4. Environmental sampling for monitoring is being performed; and
5. All affected patients are being treated in isolation rooms or cohort according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs.
The Hospital Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation of the ward.
Ends/Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:16
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