Alarm as 6 infants at KNH die of drug-resistant pneumonia
Kenyatta National Hospital in this photo taken on December 10, 2019.
The Health ministry has heightened public health measures at the Kenyatta National Hospital newborn unit following reports of babies infected with a life-threatening bacteria that is resistant to the available antibiotics.
The multidrug-resistant bacteria called klebsiella pneumoniae has so far been identified in about 13 neonates (newborns), six of whom have since died.
Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe visited the facility on September 9 when he imposed containment measures at the facility to reduce the deadly infection’s transmission.
He told hospital staff to actively screen at-risk neonates who and ensure there are contact precautions as well as environmental screening at the affected unit.
“The Kenyatta National Hospital as well as other health facilities need to review their surveillance systems to improve identification and management of healthcare-acquired infections.
Blood samples
Healthcare workers should screen all babies at admission to newborn units for early identification and isolation of those infected and ensure continuous capacity building for all staff on infection, prevention and control,” Mr Kagwe said.
The CS urged all referral hospitals in the country to collaborate with other health facilities to minimise cross-hospital transfer of infections. The first case at the Kenyatta National Hospital was identified on August 22 at the microbiology laboratory, the Health ministry said.
This was after taking blood samples of an infant who had been admitted to the neonatal critical care unit. The infant’s blood samples tested positive for the multidrug resistant bacteria.
“The Klebsiella pneumonia organism that was isolated from the newborn unit was noted to be resistant to almost all the antibiotics available for treatment of neonates. Since then, the same organism has been isolated from 13 neonates, who have all been managed as per standard procedures out of which six have succumbed,” a Health ministry statement said.
Dr Brian Maugo, a neonatology lecturer at the University of Nairobi, told Nation yesterday that, neonatal infections that are resistant to drugs are the most common causes of infant deaths.
“When neonates are infected with a certain type of bacteria, an easier way of treating them is the use of antibiotics. Unfortunately, uncontrolled continuous exposure to antibiotics of different types makes the bacteria resistant even to the strongest available antibiotics.
“The only option sometimes is to use very strong drugs that are not commonly used in children such as tigecycline or colistin. Such drugs have to be controlled when administered,” he said.
Even as handwashing was thought to have picked up well during the pandemic, and somewhat ingrained in people’s routine, Dr Maugo said that, people have slackened, yet it’s one of the ways of fighting such infections.
Clean running water
“When I talk about handwashing, I mean using soap and clean running water, not the use of a hand sanitiser. Every person handling a baby should consider washing their hands appropriately when with the baby,” he said.
Dr Maugo repeated Mr Kagwe’s warning on environmental surveillance as a preventive tool against such infections.
“Hospitals in the country need to do what we call environmental culture, or surveillance. This means that they should routinely take swabs of different sites at the newborn unit such as at the ventilator, or a bed, to help in identifying where the source of infection may be,” he said.
“Healthcare workers should also practice environmental cohorting, which means isolating those who are infected as well as thorough cleaning up and sanitisation of the unit,” he added.
Dr Maugo noted that if not handled fast, the infection can be devastating and may lead to death.
“Life can be saved if the children get an antibiotic that works on their infection,” he said.
