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Two Epidemics of Pseudobacteremia Due to Staphylococcus aureus and Aerococcus viridans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Martin L. Spivack ,
Robert Shannon ,
George A. Natsios  and
Jan Wood
Martin L. Spivack*
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Robert Shannon
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
George A. Natsios
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Jan Wood
Affiliation:
Infection Control Unit and Microbiology Laboratory, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
*
Infectious Disease Section, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02130
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Abstract

Two epidemics of pseudobacteremia are reported. The first, due to Staphyloccus aureus, was caused by a physician who had active staphylococcal skin infection and nasal colonization. Because the blood culture system in use at the time was open, and used screw cap bottles, we assume that the physician contaminated the bottles at the time of inoculation. The second outbreak, caused by Aerococcus viridans, was traced to contamination of the blood culture bottle tops as they were received from the manufacturer. We assume that there was inadequate disinfection of the bottle tops by the physicians prior to their use.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 1 , Issue 5 , October 1980 , pp. 321 - 323
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1980

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