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25 ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE & STEWARDSHIP Study: Hospital sink traps may harbor antibiotic-resistant bacteria By Mackenzie Bean S ink traps may pose as hidden reservoirs for antibiot- ic-resistant bacteria, according to a study published Oct. 4 in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. For the study, researchers conducted a root-cause analysis to determine the source of a Carbapene- mase-producing Enterobacteriaceae outbreak at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel. The hospital detected 32 cases of CPE among patients in the intensive care unit between January 2016 and May 2017, which caused three deaths. Researchers discovered the same bacteria strain was responsible for 30 cases. The hospital's infection control team worked with ICU staff to systemically trace the CPE contamination to two sink outlets and 16 sink traps in the ICU. "In addition to routine strict infection control measures, measures taken to contain the outbreak included various sink decontamination efforts, which eliminated the bacte- ria from the sink drains only temporarily, and educational intervention that engaged the ICU team and [led] to high adherence to 'sink-contamination prevention guidelines,'" the authors wrote. After enacting these interventions, the hospital did not identify additional CPE cases for 12 months. n Antidepressants could be fueling superbug growth, study finds By Megan Knowles A common antidepressant could be causing antibiotic resistance and contributing to the development of superbugs, according to a study published in Environmental International. The study, led by Jianhua Guo, PhD, from the ad- vanced water management center at the University of Queensland in Australia, examined the prescription drug fluoxetine — a common ingredient in antidepres- sants such as Prozac and Lovan. Laboratory tests found certain bacteria exposed to fluoxetine for weeks or months mutated and became resistant to several antibiotics, Dr. Guo said. "Our common understanding is that overuse and mis- use of antibiotics is generally considered the major factor contributing to the creation of superbugs," he told ABC News Online. "However, our study could change or advance our understanding, because nonantibiotic pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine can directly induce antibiotic resistance." But Steve Kisely, MD, PhD, chair of the psychiatrists group at the Australian Medical Association, said the findings should be kept in context. "What happens in the lab can be very different to what happens in real life," Dr. Kisely told ABC News Online. "I'd be concerned that people will get alarmed … we need further research before we make any clear-cut recommendations." n Why superbug transmission occurs in 11% of nursing home interactions By Anuja Vaidya A study published in Infection Control & Hospital Ep- idemiology examined the risk of antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria transmission via healthcare workers' gowns and gloves while providing care at communi- ty-based nursing facilities. Researchers conducted a prospective, observational study that included 403 residents and healthcare personnel from 13 community-based nursing facilities in Maryland and Michigan. ey collected perianal swabs from residents and cultured them to detect resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Healthcare personnel wore gowns and gloves during usual care activities. At the end of each interaction, the gowns and gloves were swabbed. Here are five study findings: 1. Nineteen percent of the 399 residents with a perianal swab were colonized with at least one resistant Gram-negative bacterium. 2. Resistant Gram-negative bacteria transmission to either gloves or gowns occurred during 11 percent of the 584 interactions. 3. Showering the resident, assisting with hygiene or toilet needs as well as wound dressing changes were associated with a high risk of bacteria transmission. 4. Glucose monitoring and assistance with feeding or medication were associated with a low risk of transmission. 5. Residents with a pressure ulcer were three times more likely to transmit resistant Gram-negative bacteria than residents without one. n