Nosocomial Ralstonia pickettii colonization associated with intrinsically contaminated saline solution--Los Angeles, California, 1998.

From February 24 through March 15, 1998, a total of 22 respiratory tract cultures from 13 patients at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), California, were culture-positive for Ralstonia pickettii. Because of this unusual cluster of colonization, on March 16 the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services initiated an investigation. This report summarizes the findings of the investigation, which resulted in a recall of sterile sodium chloride solution that was contaminated with R. pickettii.