Volume 15, Number 1—January 2009
CME ACTIVITY - Research
Sphingomonas paucimobilis Bloodstream Infections Associated with Contaminated Intravenous Fentanyl1
Table 1
Recently published reports of infectious outbreaks associated with contaminated medications prepared at compounding pharmacies, United States, 2002–2007
Reference | Organism | Infection ( no. patients) | Mode of transmission | Location of outbreak |
---|---|---|---|---|
(3) | Serratia marcescens | Bloodstream infections (18) | Intravenous magnesium sulfate | California, New Jersey, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts |
(4) | S. marcescens | Meningitis, epidural abscess, or joint infection (11)* | Epidural or intra-articular injection of betamethasone | California |
(6) | Burkholderia cepacia | Bloodstream infections and sepsis (2 pediatric patients) | Intravenous antibiotic-lock flush solution | Connecticut |
(7) | Hepatitis C | Acute hepatitis C (16) | Injected radiopharmaceutical for myocardial perfusion study | 3 clinics in Maryland |
(8,10) | Pseudomonas fluorescens | Bloodstream infections (64) | Heparin/saline intravenous flush | Missouri, New York, Texas, Michigan, South Dakota |
(9) | Exophiala dermatitidis | Meningitis (5)† | Epidural injection of methylprednisolone‡ | 2 pain management clinics in North Carolina |
*3 case-patients died.
†1 case-patient died.
‡Prepared by a compounding pharmacy in South Carolina and supplied to hospitals and clinics in 5 states.
References
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1Data presented in part at the 18th Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; Orlando, Florida; April 6, 2008 (abstract 478).