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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) made the following announcement today (April 30):
A 58-year-old male patient in a ventilator ward at Queen Elizabeth Hospital was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on April 23. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened patients who had contact with the index patient. A total of 10 other patients (five male and five female, aged 58 to 86) who had stayed in the same ward were confirmed to be VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. All patients are under medical surveillance and isolation with stable condition.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
The QEH Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection have met and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures:
1. "Multiple Drug Resistant Organisms Cleansing Team" to provide enhanced environmental cleansing for patients carrying multiple-drug resistant organisms;
2. Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor disinfection to be arranged for commonly used equipment;
3. Stringent contact precautions to be applied, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers, enhanced hand hygiene;
4. All VRE carriers are being treated in isolation rooms or cohort according to their clinical symptoms and treatment needs; and
5. Visiting is limited to two people per patient during each visiting period.
The QEH Infection Control Team will continue to closely monitor the situation on the ward.
Ends/Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:11
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