Beware Of Doctors And Nurses Wearing Wristwatches: They Could Be Potential Sources Of Hospital-acquired Infection

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Also Included In: Infectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses
Article Date: 22 Apr 2008 - 2:00 PST

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According to a study conducted by A.R. Jeans, R.C. Read and colleagues (Sheffield University, UK), presented at the 18th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, healthcare workers who wear wristwatches are more likely to be contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus.

Two consecutive cohorts of wristwatch wearers and non-wristwatch wearers (n=655) were evaluated to measure the rate of bacterial contamination. Staphylococcus aureus was found on the hands of 25% of the wristwatch wearers, while it was lower in the non-wristwatch wearers.

Watch wearers had higher counts of bacteria on their wrist, but not on the hands. When the workers were asked to remove their wristwatch prior to sampling, this resulted in increased counts of bacteria on both hands as well as the wrist compared with non-watch wearers. The study concluded that wristwatch wearers have an excess of bacterial contamination of the wrists. They do not have an excess of hand contamination unless the watch is manipulated.

18th ECCMID (European Congress of Clinical Microbiological and Infectious Diseases), Barcelona, Spain
http://www.akm.ch/eccmid2008

European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases