Report in medical journal links deaths to bacteria beneath

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The deaths of 16 infants in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Oklahoma shows a link<br>between the infants and bacteria found beneath the fingernails

Wednesday, March 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The deaths of 16 infants in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Oklahoma shows a link
between the infants and bacteria found beneath the fingernails of two nurses, according to medical journal report.

Hospital spokeswoman Gay Conner told Oklahoma City radio station KTOK on Wednesday that no deaths from the infection pseudomonas aeruginosa had been reported since the hospital instituted a policy
requiring nurses in the neo-natal unit to have short, natural fingernails.

Eleven of the deaths occurred in 1997 and the remainder in the first two-and-a-half months of 1998. The Centers for Disease Control was contacted about the deaths.

The study covered the period from Jan. 1, 1997, to March 12, 1998, during which time 439 infants were admitted to the intensive care unit. It showed 45 infants came down with the infection, which is a fairly common infection in intensive care units. Sixteen infants died.

The findings compiled by the state Health Department, the hospital and the CDC were published in the February issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Journal.

The CDC took cultures from 104 health care workers. It found the bacteria beneath the fingernails of three nurses and on two sinks.

The study says that epidemiological evidence showed an association with the infection and exposure to two nurses, each ofxwhom had long fingernails. One of the nurse's nails were
artificial.

The nails of the third nurse were short and natural and the nurse was not linked to the infection in the infants.

The study said genetic and environmental evidence suggested, but didn't prove, a possible role for long or artificial fingernails in
the colonization of infection on the workers' hands.

Dr. Michael Crutcher, state epidemiologist, said there have been no outbreaks of the infection and no deaths linked to it at the
hospital since the study was done.