Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1984 Oct;20(4):691–695. doi: 10.1128/jcm.20.4.691-695.1984

Outbreak of nosocomial urinary tract infections caused by Serratia marcescens.

T Okuda, N Endo, Y Osada, H Zen-Yoji
PMCID: PMC271413  PMID: 6386875

Abstract

A prolonged outbreak (December 1980 to July 1982) of nosocomial urinary tract infections appeared to be due to strains of Serratia marcescens that were resistant to currently available antibiotics. The serotyping and antibiotic susceptibility patterns suggested a few endemic strains of serotypes O13, O2/3, O12/14, and nontypable strains. These strains were isolated from the urine samples of inpatients with urinary tract infections in the urology ward and in other wards. The strains of O12/14 (gentamicin susceptible) were replaced with those of O2/3 (gentamicin resistant) between June and September 1981, whereas the other serotypes were isolated continuously. They were resistant to sulbenicillin, cefmetazole, gentamicin, and amikacin, and susceptible to micronomicin and of loxacin, a new quinolone antibiotic. Most of them were also resistant to the disinfectant chlorhexidine, which had been used widely for hand washing in the hospital.

Full text

PDF
691

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Allen S. D., Conger K. B. Serratia marcescens infection of the urinary tract: a nosocomial infection. J Urol. 1969 Apr;101(4):621–623. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)62391-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Altemeier W. A., Culbertson W. R., Fullen W. D., McDonough J. J. Serratia marcescens septicemia. A new threat in surgery. Arch Surg. 1969 Aug;99(2):232–238. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1969.01340140104015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Alvarez J. S., Regueiro B., Garrido M. J. Antimicrobial susceptibility of clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Oct;16(4):523–524. doi: 10.1128/aac.16.4.523. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Ambrosio R. E., Van Wyk A. J., De Klerk H. C. Antibiotic-resistant Serratia marcescens infection in a hospital. S Afr Med J. 1979 Apr 7;55(15):584–587. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Arroyo J. C., Milligan W. L., Postic B., Northey J., Parker E., Bryan C. S. Clinical, epidemiologic and microbiologic features of a persistent outbreak of amikacin-resistant Serratia marcescens. Infect Control. 1981 Sep-Oct;2(5):367–372. doi: 10.1017/s0195941700055508. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. BAILEY N. T. J. Some contributions of modern genetics to medicine. Br Med J. 1951 Jan 6;1(4696):8–12. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.4696.8. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cooksey R. C., Bannister E. R., Farrar W. E., Jr Antibiotic resistance patterns of clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1975 Apr;7(4):396–399. doi: 10.1128/aac.7.4.396. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dineen P. The exchange of skin bacteria between patients and hospital personnel. Surg Gynecol Obstet. 1967 Nov;125(5):979–982. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dodson W. H. Serratia marcescens septicemia. Arch Intern Med. 1968 Feb;121(2):145–150. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Farmer J. J., 3rd, Davis B. R., Hickman F. W., Presley D. B., Bodey G. P., Negut M., Bobo R. A. Detection of Serratia outbreaks in hospital. Lancet. 1976 Aug 28;2(7983):455–459. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)92539-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Magnuson C. W., Elston H. R. Infections caused by nonpigmented Serratia. Report of seven cases. Ann Intern Med. 1966 Sep;65(3):409–418. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-65-3-409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Maki D. G., Hennekens C. G., Phillips C. W., Shaw W. V., Bennett J. V. Nosocomial urinary tract infection with Serratia marcescens: an epidemiologic study. J Infect Dis. 1973 Nov;128(5):579–587. doi: 10.1093/infdis/128.5.579. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Markowitz S. M., Sibilla D. J. Comparative susceptibilities of clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens to newer cephalosporins, alone and in combination with various aminoglycosides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1980 Nov;18(5):651–655. doi: 10.1128/aac.18.5.651. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Marrie T. J., Costerton J. W. Prolonged survival of Serratia marcescens in chlorhexidine. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Dec;42(6):1093–1102. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.6.1093-1102.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Olexy V. M., Bird T. J., Grieble H. G., Farrand S. K. Hospital isolates of Serratia marcescens transferring ampicillin, carbenicillin, and gentamicin resistance to other gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Jan;15(1):93–100. doi: 10.1128/aac.15.1.93. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rutala W. A., Kennedy V. A., Loflin H. B., Sarubbi F. A., Jr Serratia marcescens nosocomial infections of the urinary tract associated with urine measuring containers and urinometers. Am J Med. 1981 Mar;70(3):659–663. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(81)90592-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Schaberg D. R., Alford R. H., Anderson R., Farmer J. J., 3rd, Melly M. A., Schaffner W. An outbreak of nosocomial infection due to multiply resistant Serratia marcescens: evidence of interhospital spread. J Infect Dis. 1976 Aug;134(2):181–188. doi: 10.1093/infdis/134.2.181. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Traub W. H., Kleber I., Pühler A., Burkardt H. J. Characterization of a nosocomially significant, multiple drug-resistant strain of Serratia marcescens. Chemotherapy. 1976;22(5):297–312. doi: 10.1159/000221937. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Verbist L., Spaepen J., Vandepitte J. In vitro sensitivity of hospital strains of Serratia marcescens to chemotherapeutic agents. Chemotherapy. 1976;22(1):43–54. doi: 10.1159/000221909. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Wilfert J. N., Barrett F. F., Ewing W. H., Finland M., Kass E. H. Serratia marcescens: biochemical, serological, and epidemiological characteristics and antibiotic susceptibility of strains isolated at Boston City Hospital. Appl Microbiol. 1970 Feb;19(2):345–352. doi: 10.1128/am.19.2.345-352.1970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Yu V. L., Oakes C. A., Axnick K. J., Merigan T. C. Patient factors contributing to the emergence of gentamicin-resistant Serratia marcescens. Am J Med. 1979 Mar;66(3):468–472. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(79)91074-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Yu V. L. Serratia marcescens: historical perspective and clinical review. N Engl J Med. 1979 Apr 19;300(16):887–893. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197904193001604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES