Bioquell case study 2: Serratia at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK

Published: 1-Nov-2006 Featured companies: Bioquell An Ecolab Solution


The use of Bioquell’s hydrogen peroxide vapour (HVP) technology for the environmental control of Serratia marcescens in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was recently reported in the Journal of hospital Infection.

The 12-bed NICU experienced an outbreak of S. marcescens, which complicated the care of four neonates. There was evidence of cross transmission and the S. marcescens was indistinguishable by PFGE (pulsed field gel electrophoresis) conducted by the Health Protection Agency. The S. marcescens was cultured from 8% of 24 sites on the unit.

Bioquell decontaminated the unit using HPV in conjunction with standard detergent-based cleaning. Sensitive medical equipment was decontaminated in situ without damage.

No S. marcescens was cultured after HPV and the outbreak ceased. A hospital spokesperson said: "HPV provided a safe and effective means for the eradication of environmental S. marcescens from our NICU, which may otherwise have resulted in a continuation of the outbreak. This was clinically helpful in allowing beds to be reopened more quickly, in a speciality in which the number of beds available is frequently inadequate.”

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