How quickly do hospital surfaces become contaminated after detergent cleaning?
Alexandra Bogusz A , Munro Stewart A , Jennifer Hunter B , Brigitte Yip A , Damien Reid A , Chris Robertson C D E and Stephanie J. Dancer B FA Department of Care of the Elderly, Hairmyres Hospital, NHS Lanarkshire, UK.
B Department of Microbiology, Hairmyres Hospital, NHS Lanarkshire G75 8RG, UK.
C Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
D Health Protection Scotland, Glasgow, UK.
E International Prevention Research Institute, Lyon, France.
F Corresponding author. Email: stephanie.dancer@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
Healthcare Infection 18(1) 3-9 https://doi.org/10.1071/HI12063
Submitted: 25 December 2012 Accepted: 22 January 2013 Published: 27 February 2013
Journal Compilation © Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control 2013
Abstract
Background: Hospital cleanliness is important for controlling infection. This study aimed to determine the effect of detergent-based cleaning on microbial load at near-patient sites on one ward over a 48 h period.
Methods: Lockers, left and right bedrails and overbed tables in 30 bed spaces were screened for aerobic colony counts (ACC) and staphylococci (methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: MSSA/MRSA) before detergent-based cleaning. Sites were rescreened at: 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h after cleaning. Microbial growth was quantified as number of ACC/cm2 and presence of MSSA/MRSA at each site. The study was repeated 3 times at monthly intervals.
Results: There was a significant reduction in average ACC (360 sites) from a pre-clean level of 6.72 ACC/cm2 to 3.46 ACC/cm2 at 4 hours after detergent-based cleaning (P < 0.0001). Average counts increased to 4.89 ACC/cm2 at 24 h and 5.27 ACC/cm2 at 48 h for all sites. Levels on bed rails and lockers, but not overbed tables, fell below a proposed standard (5 cfu/cm2) for 24 h after cleaning. MSSA/MRSA decreased 2–4 h after cleaning (P = 0.014) before increasing but failed to reach pre-clean levels.
Conclusion: Detergent cleaning reduces ACC at near-patient sites on a hospital ward. S. aureus (including MRSA) was not completely eliminated but showed a similar pattern of decrease. Microbial burden at high-risk sites beside the patient could potentially be controlled by daily cleaning with single-use detergent wipes.
Additional keywords: cleaning standards, detergents, environmental contamination, hospital-acquired infection, hospital cleaning, MRSA.
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