Q&A on Pseudomonas infections in the NICU
Following an outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa at Children’s Hospital in Boston, officials developed a handout of commonly asked questions on the pathogen, which is summarized as follows:
Q. What is Pseudomonas aeruginosa?
A. It is a common strain of bacteria, constantly present in our environment outside the hospital. It is found on many vegetables, such as lettuce, and grows in moist areas or water. These bacteria do not normally cause disease in healthy children and adults. However, this bacteria can cause illness and often death in severely ill patients with weakened immune systems.
Q. What is a nosocomial infection?
A. A nosocomial infection is a hospital-acquired infection. Many organisms, including the Pseudomonas bacteria, cause nosocomial infections. Nosocomial infections are an unfortunate but constant fact of life in all hospitals, despite intense efforts to prevent and control them. About 10% of all nosocomial infections are attributed to Pseudomonas bacteria.
Q. If my child is coming to Children’s for any reason, how can I be certain that my child is safe from this bacteria?
A. The hospital is safe for all patients. The implicated strain of bacteria discussed in the news reports was found only in the NICU. Today, the NICU is free of the implicated strain, and there have been no new cases reported since before Labor Day. Because of the fragile nature of the patients in the NICU, the unit is self-contained, with restricted access.
Q. If my child has recently been in the NICU or Children’s Hospital, how can I be sure he or she won’t come down with Pseudomonas infection?
A. Only seriously and acutely ill patients requiring the full services of an intensive care unit are at risk for this type of infection. If your child was well enough to be transferred to another hospital or home, then your infant is not at risk.
Q. If I visited the NICU or Children’s Hospital, is it possible that I could bring the infection home?
A. Again, healthy individuals do not develop infections with Pseudomonas. Even young infants, if they are healthy, are at virtually no risk of a Pseudomonas infection. This bacteria is so common in our everyday environment that we all frequently have contact with it without any ill effect.
Q. If I’m pregnant and visited the NICU, is my fetus at risk?
A. No. Healthy people, pregnant or not, don’t get Pseudomonas infections. There is no risk to the developing fetus.
Q. How did the Pseudomonas enter the NICU? How do you know it is no longer there?
A. Because the bacteria is so common, we don’t know for sure how the bacteria came into the unit, although this is currently under investigation. We use microbiological culturing to find the bacteria, and we have performed hundreds of cultures examining a variety of possible sources. We are confident that the implicated strain of Pseudomonas is no longer present in the unit based on extensive culturing of possible sources.
Q. What is the difference between colonization and infection?
A. Colonization means the bacteria is present in a person, in the mouth or some other place, but is not causing harm. Infection occurs when the bacteria enters the bloodstream or tissue, producing symptoms of illness.
Q. How will I know if my child is infected with Pseudomonas? What signs should I look for?
A. Healthy children do not contract Pseudomonas infection. Children with weakened immune systems or chronic diseases, and children hospitalized in intensive care units, may become infected. The symptoms are the same as any other bacterial infection: fever, chills, etc.
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content