Wir überwinden Grenzen

No illnesses, but the colonization of four premature babies leads to the redistribution of premature babies to a new intensive care unit. The safe care of premature babies is therefore guaranteed.

In the neonatal intensive care unit (neonatology) at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg, a total of four premature babies were found to be colonized with Serratia marcescens bacteria during routine examinations in the middle of the week. As the children are only colonized, they show neither signs of infection nor are they ill. Investigations have shown that it is now a different strain of bacteria to the one that spread in November last year. Based on the experience of November 2015, a phased plan will now automatically come into force to ensure the care of all patients and new admissions and to prevent further spread.

"Serratia has an enormous potential to spread in newborns and all neonatal intensive care units have to deal with it time and again. We therefore take colonization of even just a few patients very seriously and start our measures as soon as the first transmission is detected. It is important to be well prepared for such a situation and to have rehearsed the necessary procedures. This is the case at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg," says Prof. Dr. Hajo Grundmann, Head of Infection Prevention and Hospital Hygiene at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg.

As soon as the current outbreak became known, extensive measures were immediately introduced that go beyond the high hygiene standards in the neonatal intensive care unit. All patients in neonatology were repeatedly tested for this pathogen and the infected children were separated from the unaffected children. Furthermore, diagnostic and nursing measures are now coordinated with the relatives of the patients so that there is no mixing.

In order to counteract all possible dangers at such an early stage, the Medical Center - University of Freiburg has decided to introduce a further safety level at this point in time. A second neonatal intensive care unit has been opened for new admissions to ensure that premature babies can be cared for by their own staff in the new intensive care unit immediately after delivery.

This means that the Medical Center - University of Freiburg can continue to treat premature babies. There is no freeze on admissions.

"The collegial and rapid cooperation between the various specialist departments makes me confident that the spread of potential infectious agents can be controlled at an early stage in the future," says Prof. Grundmann.

The maternity ward is not affected by the measures. The areas are completely separated from each other in terms of space and personnel. This means that women can still give birth to their child in the University Women's Hospital without risk.

Background:
Serratia are bacteria that are part of the intestinal flora in many people, are also found in the environment and generally pose no risk. However, in patients with very limited immune defenses, for example in extremely immature premature babies, these bacteria can also cause serious infections. Typical illnesses include wound and urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections and pneumonia, and even sepsis (blood poisoning). Transmission of serratia occurs again and again in intensive care units for premature babies, but can usually be controlled with antibiotics. This is also due to the fact that this "premature infant pathogen" does not develop advanced resistance so quickly and therefore often remains sensitive to many antibiotics.