Environmental contamination due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: possible infection control implications
- PMID: 9309433
Environmental contamination due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: possible infection control implications
Abstract
Objective: To study the possible role of contaminated environmental surfaces as a reservoir of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals.
Design: A prospective culture survey of inanimate objects in the rooms of patients with MRSA.
Setting: A 200-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital.
Patients: Thirty-eight consecutive patients colonized or infected with MRSA. Patients represented endemic MRSA cases.
Results: Ninety-six (27%) of 350 surfaces sampled in the rooms of affected patients were contaminated with MRSA. When patients had MRSA in a wound or urine, 36% of surfaces were contaminated. In contrast, when MRSA was isolated from other body sites, only 6% of surfaces were contaminated (odds ratio, 8.8; 95% confidence interval, 3.7-25.5; P < .0001). Environmental contamination occurred in the rooms of 73% of infected patients and 69% of colonized patients. Frequently contaminated objects included the floor, bed linens, the patient's gown, overbed tables, and blood pressure cuffs. Sixty-five percent of nurses who had performed morning patient-care activities on patients with MRSA in a wound or urine contaminated their nursing uniforms or gowns with MRSA. Forty-two percent of personnel who had no direct contact with such patients, but had touched contaminated surfaces, contaminated their gloves with MRSA.
Conclusions: We concluded that inanimate surfaces near affected patients commonly become contaminated with MRSA and that the frequency of contamination is affected by the body site at which patients are colonized or infected. That personnel may contaminate their gloves (or possibly their hands) by touching such surfaces suggests that contaminated environmental surfaces may serve as a reservoir of MRSA in hospitals.
Similar articles
-
Widespread environmental contamination associated with patients with diarrhea and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization of the gastrointestinal tract.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007 Oct;28(10):1142-7. doi: 10.1086/520737. Epub 2007 Aug 3. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2007. PMID: 17828690
-
Association between isolation sites of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in patients with MRSA-positive body sites and MRSA contamination in their surrounding environmental surfaces.Jpn J Infect Dis. 2007 Nov;60(6):367-9. Jpn J Infect Dis. 2007. PMID: 18032836
-
Optimizing Contact Precautions to Curb the Spread of Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria in Hospitals: A Multicenter Cohort Study to Identify Patient Characteristics and Healthcare Personnel Interactions Associated With Transmission of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.Clin Infect Dis. 2019 Sep 13;69(Suppl 3):S171-S177. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciz621. Clin Infect Dis. 2019. PMID: 31517979 Free PMC article.
-
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: the persistent resistant nosocomial pathogen.Curr Clin Top Infect Dis. 1994;14:170-91. Curr Clin Top Infect Dis. 1994. PMID: 8086114 Review.
-
Environmental contamination makes an important contribution to hospital infection.J Hosp Infect. 2007 Jun;65 Suppl 2:50-4. doi: 10.1016/S0195-6701(07)60015-2. J Hosp Infect. 2007. PMID: 17540242 Review.
Cited by
-
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Personnel Regarding the Transmission of Pathogens via Fomites at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan.Open Forum Infect Dis. 2015 Dec 22;3(1):ofv208. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofv208. eCollection 2016 Jan. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2015. PMID: 27169136 Free PMC article.
-
How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review.BMC Infect Dis. 2006 Aug 16;6:130. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-6-130. BMC Infect Dis. 2006. PMID: 16914034 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Environmental Panels as a Proxy for Nursing Facility Patients With Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus Colonization.Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Aug 31;67(6):861-868. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy115. Clin Infect Dis. 2018. PMID: 29726892 Free PMC article.
-
Evaluation of a hand-held far-ultraviolet radiation device for decontamination of Clostridium difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens.BMC Infect Dis. 2012 May 16;12:120. doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-12-120. BMC Infect Dis. 2012. PMID: 22591268 Free PMC article.
-
Frequently Touched Sites in the Intensive Care Unit Environment Returning 100 Colony-Forming Units per Surface Area Sampled Are Associated With Increased Risk of Major Bacterial Pathogen Detection.Cureus. 2024 Aug 31;16(8):e68317. doi: 10.7759/cureus.68317. eCollection 2024 Aug. Cureus. 2024. PMID: 39350803 Free PMC article.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Other Literature Sources
Medical