An outbreak of Providencia stuartii urinary tract infections. Patients with condom catheters are a reservoir of the bacteria

Abstract

We investigated an outbreak of multiple antibiotic-resistant Providencia stuartii urinary tract infections that occurred on a neurology ward. Only patients who had been catheterized became infected. However, approximately 10% of patients with condom catheter urinary drainage systems were colonized, ie, P stuartii was present on their skin and in the urine drainage bags but not in fresh-voided urine. Patient urinals were also contaminated. The outbreak was terminated by segregating infected and colonized patients from other patients who required either external or indwelling urinary catheters and by stopping the practice of exchanging urinals among patients.