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Table 6 General characteristics of the reported clusters and outbreaks in ICU

From: Multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter species: a seven-year experience from a tertiary care center in Lebanon

Timeline

Characteristics

Identified source

Control measures

Recurrence

1995–2007

Scattered clusters affecting 1–2 patients/month

• Endogenous

• Common source

• Hand hygiene compliance

• Patient placement on contact isolation

Intermittent

2007–08

Outbreaks occurring in ICU on periodic basis Incidence rate 5–25/1000 patient-days

Case-control study

• Endogenous

- Malignancy

- Recent surgery

• Common source

- Water contamination with MDR-Ab

• Targeted intervention

- Infection control practices

- Enforcing adherence to hand hygiene

- Proper use of personal protective equipment

- Controlled visitation to patients

- Targeted education and guidance

• Intensified presence of ICPP team

Frequent

2009–11

Major outbreaks occurring in ICU on monthly basis

Incidence rate 4–30/1000 patient-days

• Endogenous

- Underlying diseases

- Invasive procedures

• Common source

- Contaminated ventilators

Lack of compliance with IC measures

Key measures

• Strict compliance hand hygiene policy

• Patient placement on contact precautions until cleared by negative results of screening cultures

• Judicious use of antibiotics

• H2O2 decontamination

Ongoing

2012–14

Alternating endemic clusters and outbreaks occurring on monthly basis Colonization pressure:

Significant findings for point and propagated sources

Implementation of Drastic measures were implemented

- Key revisions of policies and procedures

- Key change in cleaning and disinfection methods

Ongoing

2012

2013

2014

284.0

263.0

322.0