Correlation between outbreaks of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and use of bronchoscopes suggested by epidemiological analysis.

An outbreak of Multi-Drug Resistance Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP) infections occurred in intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency room (ER) between June and August 2007. Five patients who isolated MDRP in the outbreak of 2007 were all used bronchoscopes, thus, we suspected contamination of the bronchoscopes as the cause of outbreak. Although we did not detect MDRP from any bronchoscopes, the outbreak finally ended after all the bronchoscopes had been disinfected appropriately with the reexamination of washing process in 2008 and 2009.

Nosocomial outbreak of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa caused by damaged transesophageal echocardiogram probe used in cardiovascular surgical operations.

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP) is a major problem among hospital-acquired infections. We had a one-month outbreak of this strain at a university hospital in Osaka, Japan, from May to June 2004. To determine the cause of the outbreak, we collected and analyzed epidemiological information about the patients from whom MDRP was isolated, and performed microbiological investigations.