A pilot study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control shows clinical workstations within hospital intensive care units may serve as a haven for bacteria due to improper cleaning.
Researchers conducted the study using three different sampling methods in an ICU to try to discern if and where multidrug-resistant organisms might remain after routine environmental cleaning. They also followed around healthcare workers from workstations to patient bedsides to sample commonly touched objects along the way for MDROs.
They found:
1. Nine of the 13 MDROs identified came from clinical workstations (on chairs, clipboards, keyboards, telephones and a computer mouse).
2. Adenosine triphosphate testing for bio-contamination on environmental surfaces was more than seven times as likely to positively identify MDROs as microbial swabbing (33.3 percent compared to 4.3 percent).
3. There was a greater density of positive MDRO locations around and within the clinical staff workstation than immediate patient zones.
"In this pilot study, we found that many of the high touch objects from which MDROs were recovered were not items included in cleaning protocols," concluded the study authors. "The findings of this study suggest the need to review the hygiene standards adopted in the clinical workspace, away from the immediate patient zones in busy ICUs, and indicate that ATP testing may help identify high touch objects with less than optimal cleanliness."