San Juan de Dios Hospital in Costa Rica temporarily closes Burn Unit after increase in bacterial infections

Costa Rica.-The San Juan de Dios Hospital announced the temporary closure of its National Burns Unit as a preventive measure after detecting an increase in patients positive for the Pseudomonas bacteria, an infection that can especially affect hospitalized people and those with compromised immune systems. The decision was made after the Intrahospital Infections Control Unit identified an increase in positive cases within the specialized service, going from three to seven affected patients. At the time of the epidemiological alert, the Burns Unit had 11 patients admitted in an area with a total capacity for 16 beds. The hospital’s general director, María Eugenia Villalta Bonilla, explained that the temporary closure seeks to reinforce infection control and prevent new infections within the medical center.

“We are acting preventively and responsibly to protect our patients and staff. From the moment the increase in cases was identified, the institutional protocols for surveillance, isolation, and disinfection were activated,” the official indicated.

The medical center detected an increase in positive cases of the Pseudomonas bacteria. Credit: Teletica The Pseudomonas is an opportunistic bacterium that can cause serious infections, mainly in hospitalized, immunocompromised, or open-wound individuals. In burn patients, the risk increases due to the loss of the natural protective barrier provided by the skin. Infectious disease specialists explained that this type of bacteria can be found in hospital environments and requires strict control measures to prevent outbreaks within hospitals, especially in critical or high-complexity units. As part of the implemented actions, the hospital maintains the isolation of positive patients, permanent clinical surveillance and a special cleaning accompanied by deep disinfection processes throughout the National Burns Unit. In addition, visits to the area were temporarily suspended while epidemiological control work is carried out. The hospital also coordinated with the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) the transfer of patients with complex burns to other hospitals in the national network while the preventive measure remains in effect. The Pseudomonas bacteria can cause serious infections in hospitalized people and those with burns. The authorities emphasized that, despite the temporary closure of the unit, the hospital retains the capacity to handle high-complexity emergencies related to burn patients. As detailed by Dr. Villalta, in case of critical situations, the medical center has enabled spaces within the Intensive Care Unit to guarantee immediate care. The situation occurs amidst increasingly strict surveillance of hospital-acquired infections in medical centers, especially those associated with resistant or highly contagious bacteria in hospital environments.

The CCSS did not specify how long the National Burns Unit will remain closed, as the reopening will depend on the results of epidemiological monitoring and health assessments following disinfection.