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Environmental contamination and hospital-acquired infection: factors that are easily overlooked
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TLDR
In this paper, the authors reviewed the knowledge base on the role that environmental contamination plays in the transmission of healthcare-associated infection, with the aim of raising awareness regarding infection control issues that are frequently overlooked.Abstract:
There is an ongoing debate about the reasons for and factors contributing to healthcare-associated infection (HAI). Different solutions have been proposed over time to control the spread of HAI, with more focus on hand hygiene than on other aspects such as preventing the aerial dissemination of bacteria. Yet, it emerges that there is a need for a more pluralistic approach to infection control; one that reflects the complexity of the systems associated with HAI and involves multidisciplinary teams including hospital doctors, infection control nurses, microbiologists, architects, and engineers with expertise in building design and facilities management. This study reviews the knowledge base on the role that environmental contamination plays in the transmission of HAI, with the aim of raising awareness regarding infection control issues that are frequently overlooked. From the discussion presented in the study, it is clear that many unknowns persist regarding aerial dissemination of bacteria, and its control via cleaning and disinfection of the clinical environment. There is a paucity of good-quality epidemiological data, making it difficult for healthcare authorities to develop evidence-based policies. Consequently, there is a strong need for carefully designed studies to determine the impact of environmental contamination on the spread of HAI.read more
Citations
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References
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Environmental contamination due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: possible infection control implications.
TL;DR: It is 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.
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Contamination, Disinfection, and Cross-Colonization: Are Hospital Surfaces Reservoirs for Nosocomial Infection?
Robert A. Weinstein,Bala Hota +1 more
TL;DR: Strategies to reduce the rates of nosocomial infection with these pathogens should conform to established guidelines, with an emphasis on thorough environmental cleaning and use of Environmental Protection Agency—approved detergent-disinfectants.
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Importance of the environment in meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus acquisition: the case for hospital cleaning
TL;DR: This Review will show why the removal of dirt might have more impact on the control of MRSA than previously thought.
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Acquisition of nosocomial pathogens on hands after contact with environmental surfaces near hospitalized patients
Anita Bhalla,Nicole J. Pultz,Delores M. Gries,Amy J. Ray,Elizabeth C. Eckstein,David C. Aron,Curtis J. Donskey +6 more
TL;DR: Hand imprint cultures were positive for one or more pathogens after contacting surfaces near 34 (53%) of 64 study patients, with Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus being the most common isolates.
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Architectural design influences the diversity and structure of the built environment microbiome
Steven W. Kembel,Evan P. C. Jones,Jeff Kline,Dale Northcutt,Jason Stenson,Ann M Womack,Brendan J. M. Bohannan,G. Z. Brown,Jessica L. Green,Jessica L. Green +9 more
TL;DR: The observed relationship between building design and airborne bacterial diversity suggests that the authors can manage indoor environments, altering through building designand operation the community of microbial species that potentially colonize the human microbiome during their time indoors.