Flinders Medical Centre patients and visitors unaware of CPE outbreak

The disease has seen dozens of patients forced into isolation over the last three months.

Flinders Medical Centre. Picture:Brett Hartwig

• Flinders Medical Centre disease alert

Patients and visitors at Flinders Medical Centre said they were unaware of the outbreak of a highly contagious disease present at the hospital, that is also resistant to antibiotics.

Currently, 28 people at the medical centre have been forced into isolation, bringing the total number of patients isolated since December to 55.

Carbapenem resistant enterobacterales (CPE), which can cause fever, diarrhoea and in some cases pneumonia, is a highly resistant form of enterobacterales, a bacteria normally found in the bowel that can cause infection if exposed to blood or other tissue.

The Advertiser attended Flinders Medical Centre on Friday morning and spoke to several patients and visitors, all of whom were unaware of the outbreak.

“I didn’t hear a thing”, one man said.

Another said that their spouse was currently a patient at FMC, but they were unaware of the outbreak.

A hospital services worker who spoke to The Advertiser said she was unaware of the outbreak and that she had not been told to take any precautionary measures.

Some were apathetic to the outbreak, with one visitor to FMC telling The Advertiser, “it is what it is”.

Southern Adelaide Local Health Network director Dr Diana Lawrence said on Thursday FMC staff were implementing infection prevention and control measures including increased frequency of cleaning, education, and regular screening of patients.

“Anyone with an infection with CPE will receive the most appropriate antibiotics, care, and advice,” Dr Lawrence said.

“We are taking a proactive approach to support staff in maintaining best infection control measures including hand washing and environmental cleaning.”

Dr Lawrence also said any patient who has come into contact with CPE will be contacted by SALHN infection control or CDCB.

The Advertiser understands of the 28 people currently with CPE, four have required treatment and are now not infectious.

In a statement released on Friday, SALHN said all staff at FMC had been made aware of the prevalence of CPE.

“SALHN is currently running a campaign to remind staff of best practice infection control measures including personal and environmental hygiene,” the statement said.

“We are not aware of any other cases of CPE in SA linked to cases at the Flinders Medical Centre.”

CPE is of concern as it is resistant to highly effective antibiotics which makes it difficult to treat.

Originally published as Flinders Medical Centre patients and visitors unaware of CPE outbreak