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Objectives The study objectives were to describe the investigation and management of an imipenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii outbreak that occurred in the 15-bed ICU of a tertiary care teaching hospital (Brest, France), during the summer 2008. Patients and methods Patients harboring an imipenem-resistant A. baumannii strain were defined as case patients. We described case occurrence and steps taken to control the outbreak: contact isolation, reinforcement of hygiene procedures, unit shutdown decision, unit disinfection, and reopening. We also made a case control study and a cost analysis of the outbreak management. Results During a 10-day period, five patients were positive for a single clone of imipenem-resistant oxa-23 A. baumannii. Four patients presented with ventilation-acquired pneumonia and one was asymptomatic. The first two patients died one day after the first swab which led to the identification of A. baumannii. No additional case was noted in the ICU or in other hospital units after deciding to close the ICU. The cost of outbreak management was estimated at 264,553 euros. The case control study identified several factors associated with infection or colonization: length of stay in the ICU, chronic respiratory disease, number of previous antibiotic classes used, duration of ventilation, prone position, echocardiography, and presence of a nasogastric tube. Conclusion This outbreak occurred during the summer period requiring the shutdown of the ICU and inducing a considerable cost. Rapid reactions of the ICU staff during the outbreak enabled to limit the epidemic.

Resume Cette etude menee entre 1997 et 2003 en Bretagne sur les pneumocoques responsables d'infections invasives, evalue la sensibilite aux antibiotiques et les serogroupes des souches isolees de bacteriemies, de meningites et d'otites chez les enfants et les adultes. En 2003, 62 % des souches sont de sensibilite diminuee a la penicilline, 11 % sont resistantes. La prevalence des souches resistantes a l'erythromycine atteint 63 %. Ces taux de resistances sont les plus importants dans la population infantile. Les serogroupes 14 et 19 sont les plus frequents, surtout parmi les enfants. L'emergence notable du serogroupe 19 pourrait etre due a l'utilisation du vaccin conjugue heptavalent introduit en France en 2001. La surveillance des pneumocoques reste necessaire pour detecter les serogroupes emergents et les resistances.

The authors report a rare case of Yersinia enterocolitica O:3 pneumonia in an immunocompetent 70-year old man. There was no evidence of acute gastrointestinal disease. Diagnosis was confirmed by blood cultures. He responded with resolution of the infection after 21 days of therapy with a third-generation cephalosporin then by cotrimoxazole. Only 15 cases have been reported so far. Most of the patients were immunocompromised. This is the first case in France.

Introduction We had for aim to describe control and investigation of an outbreak caused by a strain of Extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae in intensive care units of the Brest teaching hospital. Patients and method The case definition was a patient infected by or carrying the epidemic strain. Control measures and investigations are presented. A case-control study was conducted in the surgical intensive care unit. Each case was matched with two controls based on admission times in the unit. The study focused on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and potential contacts with healthcare workers, in this context of cross transmission. Results Between February and May 2011, nine cases were reported in the surgical ICU and two in the medical ICU. Eighteen controls were matched with the nine surgical ICU cases. Several factors were found to be statistically associated with infection or colonization by the epidemic strain: the surgical block in which patients had been operated and the ward of first hospitalization; the number of trans-esophageal and trans-thoracic echocardiographies, of central venous catheter insertions, and of surgical operations; intubation. The total number of invasive procedures was also found to be statistically higher among cases. Conclusion This study identified factors associated with colonization or infection by the epidemic strain. These factors might have been involved in the transmission tree, and be vulnerable elements for the prevention of nosocomial infections and colonisations, and their epidemic spread.

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Resume La frequence des infections a Lactobacillus est probablement sous-evaluee, en particulier chez les malades immunodeprimes. Les auteurs rapportent une observation de septicemie a Lactobacillus casei var. rhamnosus chez une malade leucemique en aplasie ayant subi une decontamination intestinale et une antibiotherapie inadaptee. La presence dans les selles de la malade d'un germe ayant exactement les memes caracteres bacteriologiques rend tres vraisemblable une translocation du tube digestif vers la circulation sanguine.

Resume Des anticorps antinucleaires et anti-perinucleaires ont ete recherches dans des lupus induits, des hepatites medicamenteuses et des anemies hemolytiques iatrogenes et trouves dans respectivement 100,0 et 27,3 p. cent, 21,7 et 30,4 et 42,9 et 28,6 p. cent des cas.