Spread of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia colonization in a pediatric intensive care unit detected by monitoring tracheal bacterial carriage and molecular typing.

In our pediatric intensive care unit in Tours (France), intubated and ventilated inpatients are systematically monitored for tracheal bacterial colonization twice a week. This led us to detect five patients colonized with Stenotrophomonas maltophilia over a 4-month period. Molecular typing of the isolates using random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) confirmed that four of the five isolates were genetically related. The strict isolation of carriers and improvements in hygiene measures stopped the spread. This systematic strategy prevented pulmonary nosocomial infections or allowed their early detection. Moreover, it has made it possible to assess the efficiency of care practices continuously.