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Volume 29, Number 10—October 2023
Research

Community Outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections Associated with Contaminated Piercing Aftercare Solution, Australia, 2021

Benjamin T. TrevittComments to Author , Anthea L. Katelaris, Catherine Bateman-Steel, Sandra Chaverot, Sinead Flanigan, Toni Cains, Elena Martinez, Andrew Ginn, Vitali Sintchenko, Arthur Jones, Kishen Lachireddy, Mark J. Ferson, and Vicky Sheppeard
Author affiliations: South Eastern Sydney Public Health Unit, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (B.T. Trevitt, A.L. Katelaris, C. Bateman-Steel, S. Chaverot, S. Flanigan, T. Cains, M.J. Ferson, V. Sheppeard); University of Sydney, Sydney (B.T. Trevitt, E. Martinez, A. Ginn, V. Sintchenko, V. Sheppeard); Institute for Clinical Pathology and Medical Research New South Wales Health Pathology, Sydney (E. Martinez, A. Ginn, V. Sintchenko); St George Hospital, Sydney (A. Jones); Health Protection NSW, Sydney (K. Lachireddy); University of New South Wales, Sydney (M.J. Ferson)

Main Article

Table 2

Differences in demographics, hospital admission status, and piercing characteristics according to case classification in study of community outbreak of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections associated with contaminated piercing aftercare solution, Australia, 2021*

Characteristics Confirmed or probable cases Possible or suspected cases Total no. (%) cases
Patient age, y, mean +SD
 23.6 +10.2
 21.9 +13.5
 22.3 +12.8
Patient sex
F 48 (90.6) 175 (88.4) 223 (88.8)
M
 5 (9.4)
 23 (11.6)
 28 (11.2)
Piercing site
Ear, tragus/antitragus 2 (3.8) 5 (2.5) 7 (2.8)
Ear, helix/antihelix 18 (34.0) 26 (13.1) 44 (17.5)
Ear, lobule 4 (7.6) 51 (25.8) 55 (21.9)
Ear, not specified 28 (52.8) 79 (39.9) 107 (42.6)
Other†
1 (1.9)
 37 (18.7)
 38 (15.1)
Hospital admission status
Admitted 30 (56.6) 9 (4.6) 39 (15.5)
Discharged
 23 (43.4)
 189 (95.5)
 212 (84.5)
No. days from piercing to hospital visit, mean +SD‡ 14.1 +7.2 14.7 +9.8 14.4 +9.1

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. †Includes breast, lip, nostril, and tongue. ‡Number of days could only be retrieved for a subset of case-patients through patient interviews and hospital records (n = 32 for confirmed or probable cases, n = 75 for possible or suspected cases).

Main Article

Page created: August 21, 2023
Page updated: September 20, 2023
Page reviewed: September 20, 2023
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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