An outbreak of septic conditions following surgery in the operating theatres of a primary hospital.

Abstract

A systematic investigation of an outbreak of postoperative sepsis in nine patients following surgery in the operating rooms of a primary-type hospital between November 26 and 28, 2018 was conducted to determine the extent of the outbreak, the vehicle, and the route of transmission. The comprehensive investigation included epidemiological, microbiological, molecular biological, and environmental methods. A retrospective cohort study was used to find associations between individual exposure factors and outcomes, the respective septic conditions. Nine of 24 surgery patients were infected (AR 37.5 %). An identical strain of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus was found in biological specimens of two infected patients. The combined investigation did not reveal the vector or route of transmission. Immediate infection prevention and control measures avoided new cases of postoperative sepsis.