Endemic Serratia Marcescens in A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Chertsak Dhiraputra MD*, Chanwit Tribuddharat MD*, Pintip Pongpech Ph.D**, Kulkunya Chokephaibulkit MD***, Somwang Danchaivijitr MD****
Affiliation : * Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, ** Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, ***Department of Pediatrics, **** Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.
Objective : To study the endemicity of Serratia marcescens in a neonatal intensive care unit (N.I.C.U).
Materials and Methods : During the first 4 months of 2001, neonates in the N.I.C.U. in a teaching hospital were
screened for S.marcescens by serial throat swabs and collections of other appropriate clinical specimens.
Environmental cultures were also done in the same period. Isolated S.marcescens were tested for antimicro-
bial susceptibility and for genotyping by pulsed field gel electrophoresis.
Results : During the period, 104 neonates were studied. S.marcescens were isolated in 34.6% of the cases.
Environmental cultures were positive for S.marcescens in 1.4%. There were 10 patterns of antibiogram of the
190 strains isolated. All strains belonged to pulsotype A.
Conclusion : The study confirmed that S.marcescens was endemic in the N.I.C.U. and belonged to one geno-
type.
Keywords : Endemic, Serratia marcescens, Neonates, Neonatal intensive care unit
