Serratia marcescens sepsis outbreak caused by contaminated propofol

Am J Infect Control. 2019 May;47(5):582-584. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2018.10.014. Epub 2018 Dec 5.

Abstract

We presented a sepsis outbreak caused by Serratia marcescens from contaminated propofol to raise awareness. Three patients had sepsis syndrome after chest surgery. Isolation of S marcescens from patients' respiratory and blood samples alerted us to a possible outbreak. Four syringes filled with propofol and 1 saline solution yielded S marcescens. Nine of 10 isolates from samples of patients and environment genotyped by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis were the same. Disobeying aseptic injection rules of propofol is still causing outbreaks.

Keywords: Extrinsic contamination; Outbreak; Propofol; Serratia marcescens.

MeSH terms

  • Cross Infection / epidemiology
  • Cross Infection / etiology
  • Cross Infection / microbiology
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Drug Contamination
  • Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests / methods
  • Middle Aged
  • Propofol / adverse effects*
  • Sepsis / epidemiology*
  • Sepsis / etiology*
  • Serratia Infections / epidemiology*
  • Serratia Infections / etiology*
  • Serratia marcescens / pathogenicity*
  • Syringes

Substances

  • Propofol