Biomaterial Database

Pseudomonas fluorescens pseudobacteraemia: a cautionary lesson. 2002

J Smith, and C Ashhurst-Smith, and R Norton

Department of Paediatrics, Townsville General Hospital, Townsville, Queensland, Australia.

OBJECTIVE To describe an outbreak of pseudobacteraemia caused by Pseudomonas fluorescens in a paediatric population. To document and highlight the effect this outbreak had on clinical management and the steps taken to determine the source. METHODS A clinical and microbiological investigation was carried out into a cluster of 38 pseudobacteraemias caused by Pseudomonas fluorescens in paediatric patients over a 10 month period. RESULTS The source of the outbreak of pseudobacteraemia was found to be contaminated lithium heparin tubes, which were being filled prior to the filling of the blood culture bottle. Cultures of the same tubes yielded Pseudomonas fluorescens. As a result of the initial positive blood cultures, clinical management was altered in 18 cases. A staff education programme was instituted and eventually resulted in a cessation of the pseudobacteraemia. CONCLUSIONS Pseudobacteraemias are a major cause of potentially inappropriate therapy in febrile children. Attention to detail in the collection of blood cultures can help reduce this outcome. Staff involved in the collection of blood cultures need to be aware of this potential source of contamination.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007318	Inservice Training	On the job training programs for personnel carried out within an institution or agency. It includes orientation programs.	Employee Orientation Programs,Orientation Programs, Employee,On-the-Job Training,Training, Inservice,Employee Orientation Program,On the Job Training,Orientation Program, Employee,Program, Employee Orientation,Programs, Employee Orientation,Training, On-the-Job
D008297	Male		Males
D008485	Medical Audit	A detailed review and evaluation of selected clinical records by qualified professional personnel for evaluating quality of medical care.	Audit, Medical,Audits, Medical,Medical Audits
D011551	Pseudomonas fluorescens	A species of nonpathogenic fluorescent bacteria found in feces, sewage, soil, and water, and which liquefy gelatin.	Bacillus fluorescens,Bacillus fluorescens liquefaciens,Bacterium fluorescens,Liquidomonas fluorescens
D011552	Pseudomonas Infections	Infections with bacteria of the genus PSEUDOMONAS.	Infections, Pseudomonas,Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection,Infection, Pseudomonas,Pseudomonas Infection,Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections
D011793	Queensland	A state in northeastern Australia. Its capital is Brisbane. Its coast was first visited by Captain Cook in 1770 and its first settlement (penal) was located on Moreton Bay in 1824. The name Cooksland was first proposed but honor to Queen Victoria prevailed. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p996 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p441)
D001800	Blood Specimen Collection	The taking of a blood sample to determine its character as a whole, to identify levels of its component cells, chemicals, gases, or other constituents, to perform pathological examination, etc.	Blood Specimen Collections,Collection, Blood Specimen,Collections, Blood Specimen,Specimen Collection, Blood,Specimen Collections, Blood
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children