Multidrug-resistant organisms may be spread around patient rooms by textile cleaning wipes, according to a study published in the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers analyzed 91 samples of high-touch surfaces in intensive care unit rooms occupied by patients with MDROs. The samples had been collected within one hour after the rooms were cleaned.
They found 29 percent of the surface cultures from the ICU rooms were colonized with MDROs. For example, 22 percent of high-touch surfaces in rooms with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus patients and 5 percent of high-touch surfaces in rooms with multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa patients were colonized with the same strain as the patient, even after cleaning.
The researchers hypothesize the textile cleaning wipes may contribute to the spread of MDROs.
More articles on infection control:
Scope maker warned Europe of infection risk 2 years before US outbreak
Many healthcare workers aren't trained on how to clean uniforms in-home
Texas A&M research supports cleaning efficacy of germ-zapping robots