Assessment Description:
Search through news articles or reports (within the past 5 years) on hospital infections that were caused due to a lack of aseptic technique. What happened to cause the spread of the pathogen? How could it have been prevented? Include references to your news article.
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SOLUTION to Bio-205L Microbiology Lab - Topic 3 DQ 1.
SAMPLE 1
Hello class,
In its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) narrates the outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis infections across 10 U.S. states in 2021 as reported by Hudson et al. (2022). This narration provides a perfect example of how breaches in aseptic technique can lead to widespread hospital infections. It also emphasizes the significance of safe utilization of medical products in the healthcare sector as well as competency in the manufacturing process.
According to Hudson et al. (2022), the transmission of the pathogen was mainly through exposure to contaminated nonsterile ultrasound gel that contained Burkholderia stabilis. The contamination is believed to have happened during the production of MediChoice M500812 and Eco Gel 200 products. However, the root cause of the outbreak was the improper use of these nonsterile gels in clinical practice. This contaminated gel was used by healthcare personnel on patients for ultrasound-guided invasive procedures while the gel was only meant for external or noninvasive ultrasonography (Hudson et al. 2022). As a result, the pathogen spread when needles were advanced through the skin where the contaminated gel had been applied, introducing the bacteria into sterile body sites. This practice was particularly problematic given the high bacterial bioburden found in the gel (up to 5.8 x 107 colony-forming units/mL) and BCC's intrinsic resistance to common antiseptics, which may have rendered skin preparation less effective.
Nonetheless, there are several measures that could have been taken to avoid this outbreak. First, in health facilities, only sterile and single-use ultrasound gel packets should have been used during processes that involved percutaneous needle insertion. Secondly, measures to enhance quality control in the process of production, such as proper testing of output products and input materials, would have revealed the contamination before the products got to the market as explained by the World Health Organization (2024). Lastly, proper training of healthcare personnel regarding the right utilization of the ultrasound gel for various types of procedures could have helped avoid the use of non-sterile gel in invasive procedures. As an Emergency Room (ER) nurse, this serves as a reminder that even seemingly low-risk products like external-use ultrasound gel can pose significant infection risks if not used appropriately.
References
Hudson, M. J. (2022). Outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis infections associated with contaminated nonsterile, multiuse ultrasound gel—10 states, May–September 2021. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71.
World Health Organization. (2024). Quality Assurance of Pharmaceuticals: A Compendium of Guidelines and Related Materials. Volume 2. Good Manufacturing Practices and Inspection. World Health Organization.