Abstract
Background: Preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in neonatal intensive care units is a challenge of highest priority. For further insight into the incubator as direct patient environment and potential source for contamination, we present data correlating microbiological samples of very low birthweight infants in the form of colonization results of surveillance screenings with samples of their associated incubator in this study. Methods: Samples were taken via rectal and throat swabs of neonates as well as Polywipe® sponges for the incubator. If the same bacterial species was found in corresponding neonate and incubator samples, whole genome sequencing via Illumina technology was performed. Results: 52 microbiological species matches were found, and 30 matches were sequenced where we found 26 clonal pairs (12 E. faecalis, 10 S. aureus, 2 E. coli, 1 E. cloacae, and 1 E. faecium). Conclusion: The combinations of measurements of weekly screenings swabs, probing of surfaces with Polywipes®, and whole genome sequencing showed transmissions of microorganism and risk for potential non-physiological colonization of neonatal infants.
Highlights
Preventing infections in neonatal intensive care units is a high-priority challenge, especially for infants with very low and extremely low birth weight (
Whenever the incubators were replaced for suitable disinfection, we sampled the incubator that the corresponding VLBW was located in
We found 16 positives for S. aureus; 5 for E. coli; as well as other occasional finds, such as for R. ornithinolytica, E. faecalis, E. cloacae, M. morganii, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, and C. freundii
Summary
Preventing infections in neonatal intensive care units is a high-priority challenge, especially for infants with very low and extremely low birth weight (
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