Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Jul;29(7):583-9.
doi: 10.1086/588701.

Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci on the gowns and gloves of healthcare workers

Graham M Snyder  1 , Kerri A Thom, Jon P Furuno, Eli N Perencevich, Mary-Claire Roghmann, Sandra M Strauss, Giora Netzer, Anthony D Harris
Affiliations

Detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci on the gowns and gloves of healthcare workers

Graham M Snyder et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2008 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the rate of and the risk factors for the detection of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) on the protective gowns and gloves of healthcare workers (HCWs).

Methods: We observed the interactions between HCWs and patients during routine clinical activities in a 29-bed medical intensive care unit at the University of Maryland Medical Center, an urban tertiary care academic hospital. Samples for culture were obtained from HCWs' hands prior to their entering a patient's room, from HCWs' disposable gowns and gloves after they completed patient care activities, and from HCWs' hands immediately after they removed their protective gowns and gloves.

Results: Of 137 HCWs caring for patients colonized or infected with MRSA and/or VRE, 24 (17.5%; 95% confidence interval, 11.6%-24.4%) acquired the organism on their gloves, gown, or both. HCW contact with the endotracheal tube or tracheostomy site of a patient (P < .05), HCW contact with the head and/or neck of a patient (P < .05), and HCW presence in the room of a patient with a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and/or jejunostomy tube (P < .05) were associated with an increased risk of acquiring these organisms.

Conclusions: The gloves and gowns of HCWs frequently become contaminated with MRSA and VRE during the routine care of patients, and particularly during care of the patient's respiratory tract and any associated indwelling devices. As part of a larger infection control strategy, including high-compliance hand disinfection, they likely provide a useful barrier to transmitting antibiotic-resistant organisms among patients in an inpatient setting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest: All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this study.

Comment in

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L. Management of multidrug-resistant organisms in healthcare settings. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2006. Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. - PubMed
    1. Muto CA, Jernigan JA, Ostrowsky BE, et al. SHEA guideline for preventing nosocomial transmission of multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2003;24:362–386. - PubMed
    1. Puzniak LA, Leet T, Mayfield J, Kolleff M, Mundy LM. To gown or not to gown: the effect on acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Clin Infect Dis. 2002 Jul 1;35(1):18–25. - PubMed
    1. Srinivasan A, Song X, Ross T, Merz W, Brower R, Perl TM. A prospective study to determine whether cover gowns in addition to gloves decrease nosocomial transmission of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in an intensive care unit. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2002 Aug;23(8):424–8. - PubMed
    1. Jernigan JA, Titus MG, Gröschel DHM, Getchell-White SI, Farr BM. Effectiveness of contact isolation during a hospital outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Am J Epidemiol. 1996;143(5):496–503. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources