SURVIVAL OF ENTEROCOCCI AND STAPHYL...

SURVIVAL OF ENTEROCOCCI AND STAPHYLOCOCCI forward HOSPITAL FABRICS AND PLASTIC A N Neely M P Maley Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol 38 (February 2000) 724-727

The rising incidence of infections associated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, as it was as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, is a interest Increasingly, health care professionals are unable to rule the spread of these bacteria. Researchers have reported that the environment and the garments of health care workers play a [i]clavis[/i] role in the nosocomial transmission of these organisms.

purport The purpose of this inquiry was to determine the survival rate of 22 gram-positive bacteria (ie, methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant staphylococci, vancomycin-sensitive and vancomycin-resistant enterococci) forward five common hospital materials. The five materials ordealed included 100% cotton clothing, 100% cotton terry towels, 60% cotton and 40% polyester mingle scrub attire and laboratory coats, 100% polyester privacy drapes, and 100% polypropylene plastic splash aprons.

Methodology. All microorganisms used in this meditation recently had been isolated from patients or hospital environmental surfaces in a pediatric teaching hospital in the Midwestern United States. Standard microbial materials and processe were used during the studious mood Several enterococci isolates (ie, one as well as the other resistant and sensitive strains) and several staphylococci strains (ie, the two resistant and sensitive strains) were used. Survival of the microorganisms was ordealed by gas sterilizing the swatches of proof fabric and inoculating the swatches with solutions of the desired concentration of specific organisms. Immediately after inoculation, swatches were picked up each hour using sterile forceps and placed in a tube of liquid thioglycolate medium for incubation. The incubation tubes were maintained beneath the same hood and controll at the same temperature and humidity for the same longitudinal dimensions of time. Samples from randomly chosen tubes were streaked and incubated to confirm the vicinity or absence of growth.

follows Staphylococci survived at least individual day on all fabrics and survived the longest (1 to 56 days) onward polyester and polypropylene plastic (22 to [is greater than] 90 days). Enterococci survived at least 11 days and also survived longest upon polyester and polypropylene plastic (43 to [is greater than] 90 days). Enterococci lived longer than staphylococci onward fabric.

Discussion. accrues of this study support the findings of previous studies of microorganism survival onward environmental surfaces. Staphylococci and enterococci can survive for days or month forward common hospital fabrics worn by dint of personnel or patients and in succession other ordinary hospital fabrics. In general, enterococci appear to live longer than staphylococci forward fabric and appear to live longer forward other types of hospital surfaces. There appears to be no difference in survival rates between resistant and sensitive strains of staphylococci and enterococci.

It appears from the data that the couple staphylococci and enterococci live longer forward polyester fabric than on cotton and live the longest in succession polypropylene plastic splash aprons. The emblem of polyester used in this close attention is the type used in privacy drapes.

Implications. There are significant infection restrain implications suggested by this reflection It appears that common hospital fabrics can become vectors in the transmission of organisms. The privacy drapes used around patients, the sleeve of laboratory coats touching common patient after another, and the splash aprons used during instrument decontamination all call into question the ne for scrupulous attention to infection restrain principles. One might even be l to question the wisdom of to one's home laundering scrub attire in light of this research.

MARY LYNNE WEEMERING RN MSN CNOR NURSING RESEARCH COMMITTEE

COPYRIGHT 2001 Association of Operating compass Nurses, Inc.

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