Study links deaths with bacteria found beneath fingernails

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A medical journal says the deaths of 16 infants in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Oklahoma were linked to bacteria found beneath the fingernails of

Wednesday, March 22nd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- A medical journal says the deaths of 16 infants in the neo-natal intensive care unit of Children's Hospital of Oklahoma were linked to bacteria found beneath the fingernails of two nurses.

K-T-O-K radio reported today on the findings published in the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology Journal.

The study covered a period from January first, 1997, and March 12, 1998. It showed 45 infants came down with a fairly common infection found in intensive care units and 16 of those died.

The national Centers for Disease Control 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. The two nurses had long fingernails.

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.

The hospital now requires its nurses in the neo-natal unit to have short, natural fingernails. Hospital spokeswoman Gay Conner told K-T-O-K that there haven't been any instances of death from the illness since that policy was instituted.

During the time covered by the study, 439 babies were admitted to the neo-natal intensive care unit.

The Centers for Disease Control study came out in early 1998.

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

Eleven of the deaths occurred in 1997. Five occurred in the first two-and-a-half months of 1998.