Fraser Health has issued a warning to the public of an outbreak of Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) on a medicine unit at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster.
Officials say because of the sustained transmission of the bacteria on this unit, they have already put infection prevention and control measures in place. This includes separating patients, who are known through the hospital’s screening protocol to be colonized, providing them with dedicated staff and equipment and clearly dividing the affected unit between patients who are carrying the bacteria and those who are not.
As Royal Columbian is an older hospital with most rooms being occupied by multiple people, officials say this is a necessary and effective control measure.
CPE is the name given to a group of bacteria that have become resistant to antiobiotics. While this bacteria can live harmlessly in a human stomach, it can cause an infection when it enters the bloodstream or bladder.
“We have been preparing for increased cases of CPE for some time and have adopted aggressive infection control protocols to detect and isolate these cases in our hospitals,” said Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin, Executive Medical Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Fraser Health. “Our patients and families can be confident that all measures are in place to protect them while they are in our care.”
Officials at Fraser Health say over the past 10 years, there has been a global increase in the appearance of CPE. As international travel becomes more accessible, the prevalence of this bacteria in the Fraser Health region has also increased. Fraser Health has implemented a screening process for all patients admitted into their hospitals, particularly those being treated in intensive care units. The screening process involves asking whether or not patients have been admitted into a hospital or received renal dialysis outside of Canada within the past six months. Anyone who answers yes to the screening question will be tested for CPE.
Health care providers working with patients who are carriers of CPE are also taking extra measures, such as wearing gowns and gloves during care and cohorting patients that are colonized with CPE.
Unlike some other infections, CPE colonization develops slowly, which means it will take several weeks before Fraser Health can declare the outbreak over. In the meantime patients and visitors should not be discouraged from coming to the hospital for care or to visit.
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