OBJECTIVE To study the prevention and control strategies for carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAB) infection through inves-tigating an outbreak of CRAB infection in an intensive care unit (ICU), and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of such hospital-acquired infections.

METHODS Epidemiological investigations were conducted on patients with CRAB infection in the ICU of a hospital from Jul.7 to Jul.29, 2023, and microbial sampling, identification and drug sensitivity testing were conducted on suspected contaminated environments and items.Targeted prevention and control measures were taken to control the outbreak.

RESULTS Within a short period, 8 patients in this hospital developed CRAB hospital-acquired infection, among whom, the drug resistance profiles of CRAB isolated from the specimens of 7 patients in bed A4, A14, B18, B19, B20, B21 and B22 were consistent.Through environmental hygiene monitoring, CRAB isolated from patient clothing, isolation gowns and medical staff uniforms matched the drug resistance profiles of the seven patient isolates.After taking targeted measures, no new CRAB infection cases occurred in Oct., and CRAB was no longer isolated from the environment and medical fabrics.

CONCLUSIONS The suspected outbreak of CRAB infection may be related to the inadequate management and contamination of medical fabrics.Therefore, in addition to strictly implementing the routine prevention and control measures for multidrug-resistant bacteria, it is also crucial to strengthen the standardized management of medical fabrics for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections and outbreaks.