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To the Editor: Recent legislation mandates active surveillance cultures to detect multidrug-resistant (MDR) organisms in hospitalized patients.¹ The active surveillance strategy has not been widely applied to MDR Acinetobacter, one of the most difficult gram-negative pathogens to control and treat.² Universal active surveillance is resource-intensive and may divert resources from other infection control interventions.³ We conducted a prospective cohort study using universal active surveillance cultures to determine the prevalence and incidence of transmission of MDR Acinetobacter and to estimate the effects of targeting active surveillance to patients with recent exposure to a long-term care facility.

Methods

Universal active surveillance cultures from the axilla, wounds, sputum, and endotracheal tube aspiration were performed on admission and weekly among a cohort of 1111 adult patients admitted to medical intensive and intermediate care units of the Johns Hopkins Hospital between March and June in 2006. Isolation precautions were implemented for patients with MDR Acinetobacter . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Lisa L. Maragakis, MD, MPH
Lmaraga1@jhmi.edu

Margaret G. Tucker, BS; Redonda G. Miller, MD, MBA; Karen C. Carroll, MD; Trish M. Perl, MD, MSc
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Baltimore, Maryland

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