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Transfer of multidrug-resistant bacteria to healthcare workers' gloves and gowns after patient contact increases with environmental contamination
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Transfer of multidrug-resistant bacteria to healthcare workers' gloves and gowns after patient contact increases with environmental contamination

Daniel J Morgan, Elizabeth Rogawski, Kerri A Thom, J Kristie Johnson, Eli N Perencevich, Michelle Shardell, Surbhi Leekha and Anthony D Harris
Critical care medicine, Vol.40(4), pp.1045-1051
04/2012
DOI: 10.1097/CCM.0b013e31823bc7c8
PMCID: PMC3534819
PMID: 22202707
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3534819View
Open Access

Abstract

To assess the role of environmental contamination in the transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria to healthcare workers' clothing. Prospective cohort. Six intensive care units at a tertiary care hospital. Healthcare workers including registered nurses, patient care technicians, respiratory therapists, occupational/physical therapists, and physicians. None. One hundred twenty of 585 (20.5%) healthcare worker/patient interactions resulted in contamination of healthcare workers' gloves or gowns. Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii contamination occurred most frequently, 55 of 167 observations (32.9%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 25.8% to 40.0%), followed by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 15 of 86 (17.4%; 95% CI 9.4% to 25.4%), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, 25 of 180 (13.9%, 95% CI 8.9, 18.9%) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 21 of 152 (13.8%; 95% CI 8.3% to 19.2%). Independent risk factors associated with healthcare worker contamination with multidrug-resistant bacteria were positive environmental cultures (odds ratio [OR] 4.2; 95% CI 2.7-6.5), duration in room for >5 mins (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.2-3.4), performing physical examinations (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.8), and contact with the ventilator (OR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1-2.8). Pulsed field gel electrophoresis determined that 91% of healthcare worker isolates were related to an environmental or patient isolate. The contamination of healthcare workers' protective clothing during routine care of patients with multidrug-resistant organisms is most frequent with A. baumannii. Environmental contamination was the major determinant of transmission to healthcare workers' gloves or gowns. Compliance with contact precautions and more aggressive environmental cleaning may decrease transmission.
Environmental Microbiology Prospective Studies Humans Risk Factors Academic Medical Centers Acinetobacter Infections - transmission Cross Infection - transmission Acinetobacter baumannii Cross Infection - microbiology Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial Health Personnel Gloves, Protective - microbiology Protective Clothing - microbiology

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