Cross-contamination by disinfectant towelettes varies by product chemistry and strain
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(2020) 9:141
RESEARCH
Open Access
Cross-contamination by disinfectant towelettes varies by product chemistry and strain Maxwell G. Voorn1†, Summer E. Goss1†, Carine A. Nkemngong1, Xiaobao Li2, Peter J. Teska2 and Haley F. Oliver1*
Abstract Background: Disinfectant products are used frequently on environmental surfaces (e.g. medical equipment, countertops, patient beds) and patient care equipment within healthcare facilities. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk of cross-contamination of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa during and after disinfection of predetermined surface areas with ready-to-use (RTU) pre-wetted disinfectant towelettes. Methods: This study tested six disinfectant towelette products against S. aureus ATCC CRM-6538 and P. aeruginosa strain ATCC-15442 on Formica surfaces. Each disinfectant was evaluated on a hard nonporous surface and efficacy was measured every 0.5 m2 using a modified version of EPA MLB SOP-MB-33 to study the risk of crosscontamination. Results: We found that all of the wipes used in this study transferred S. aureus and P. aeruginosa from an inoculated surface to previously uncontaminated surfaces. Disinfectant towelettes with certain chemistries also retained a high level of viable bacteria after disinfection of the surface area. The cross-contamination risk also varied by product chemistry and bacterial strain. Conclusion: Disinfectant wipes can cross-contaminate hard nonporous surfaces and retain viable bacterial cells post-disinfection, especially over larger surface areas. This highlights a need to further investigate the risk disinfectant wipes pose during and post-disinfection and guidance on maximum surface areas treated with a single towelette. Keywords: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Disinfectant towelettes, Bactericidal efficacy, Crosscontamination
Background Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) are prevalent in healthcare settings and are becoming harder to treat especially as levels of multidrug resistant infections are on the rise [1]. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in 31 United States (US) patients will contract at least one HAI within * Correspondence: [email protected] † Maxwell G. Voorn and Summer E. Goss contributed equally to this work. 1 Department of Food Science, Purdue University, 745 Agriculture Mall Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
4 days of health care facility admission [2]. Although this is an improvement from 2011 statistics with daily HAI incidence rates of at least one in 25 patients, in 2015, an estimated 633,300 US patients suffered from 687,200 HAI [3]. The most prevalent infection rates occur in acute care hospitals (ACHs), predominantly due to opportunistic pathogens occurring in healthcare settings [4], and the HAI tracking and reporting requirements for acute care facilities to the National Healthcare Safety Network of the CDC. The risk of a HAI occurring is highest
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