National Patient Safety Alert – Potential contamination of non-sterile alcohol-free skin cleansing wipes with Burkholderia spp: measures to reduce patient risk
A National Patient Safety Alert has been issued by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA). UKHSA is investigating an outbreak of Burkholderia stabilis, linked to wipes. Health care professionals should be aware that skin cleansing wipes not marked as ‘sterile’ may present risk and should not be used for intravascular access device care.
There have been 48 confirmed cases associated with the outbreak of B. stabilis in the UK and one case in the Republic of Ireland. Trawling questionnaires indicated that cases included clinically significant infections in 65% of cases and colonisations (without infection). There are no known attributable deaths to date.
Community healthcare providers should advise patients to only use wipes marked as sterile on any broken skin including wounds. NHS Trusts and independent sector laboratories are requested to submit any isolate from a new infection with Burkholderia cepacia complex, including any new isolations from cystic fibrosis patients to the UKHSA AMRHAI reference laboratory.