Antiseptic may have caused infection in 53 Hong Kong kidney patients, Hospital Authority says as manufacturer issues recall
- Department of Health urges public to stop using Pro-Medi Prosept wound cleanser because it could cause infections in those with weak immune systems
An antiseptic commonly used by renal patients is suspected to have caused a bacterial infection in 53 people in Hong Kong over the past two years.
The Department of Health has urged the public to stop using Pro-Medi Prosept, a chlorhexidine antiseptic solution used for wound care, as it might be contaminated with a bacteria called Burkholderia cepacia.
Medical experts said this strain of bacteria was resistant to some antibiotics and diluted disinfectants, and while it posed little threat to healthy individuals, it could cause infections in those with weak immune systems.
The infection cluster was identified by Queen Mary Hospital, in Pok Fu Lam, after specimens collected from the catheter exit site of four peritoneal dialysis patients earlier this month were found to contain the bacteria, according to a news release issued by the Hospital Authority on Wednesday.
Peritoneal dialysis is a treatment to remove waste products from a patient’s blood when kidneys are not functioning properly. In the procedure, cleansing fluid flows through a catheter into parts of a patient’s abdomen, the lining of the abdomen, or peritoneum, acting as a filter and removing waste product from blood.
