Dear netters,
I read this post on nicu-net.  Have any of you encountered this problem in your NICU?  I believe that most of our infants who contracted serratia were formula fed.  We have had a pseudomonas case - infant came down with it twice, and the milk was positive for this critter.  We did scrupulous hand washing, etc.  Could have been the Environment in the Lactation Room.  Mom seemed to be cleansing her pump pieces appropriately.  hmmm
Now we instruct moms clean the pump and counter tops with antiseptic spray before and after use of pump for their own protection.
Any takers on this one?
Dani Hudspeth RN, BSN, IBCLC
Dallas, TX
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From:   Tonse Raju[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
Sent:   Saturday, September 27, 1997 5:30 AM
To:     NICU-NET
Subject:        Breast Milk in NICU: Source of sepsis?

 Dear Colleagues:

        We had an outbreak of serratia infection in three infants--two
developed septicemia and died from it and the third (a 'routine case' of BPD
on nasal cannula oxygen) was colonized in her trachea and developed
pneumonia. She was receiving expressed breast milk from her own mom; the
milk grew serratia. We do not 'bank' breast milk--babies receive their own
moms' milk (or from a milk maker who, unlike moms or cows, makes it for
money). Our best guess at this time is that the colonized infant got
serratia from her mom, and the other two from this infant via a common care
giver.

        How frequent is such phenomenon?

        Tonse Raju, MD
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Tonse N. K. Raju, MD
University of Illinois at Chicago
E-Mail: [log in to unmask], OR [log in to unmask]
Mailing Address: Department of Pediatrics, M/C 856
840 South Wood Stree, Chicago, IL 60612 
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