A new study has revealed that Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) was found in almost half (48%) of patients rooms who were infected or colonized with the germ. The report is published in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).
Acinetobacter baumannii is a species of pathogenic bacteria (aerobic gram-negative bacterium) that is resistant to the majority of antibiotics. MDR-AB has caused outbreaks of infection in healthcare environments over the last 10 years, raising significant concern among those in the medical community. Infections from this germ primarily occur in individuals who are very ill, wounded or immunocompromised. Destroying the germ is difficult as it can survive for long periods of time on surfaces.
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine analyzed the prevalence of contamination in the environment surrounding the patient in addition to which surfaces are most frequently contaminated.
The team took samples from ten surfaces in 50 rooms occupied by patients with a recent (less than two months before samples were taken) or remote (over two months) history of MDR-AB. Surfaces sampled included the bedside table, door knob, vital sign monitor touch pad, bed rails, sink, supply cart drawer handles, nurse call button, ventilator surface touch pad, infusion pump and the floor on both sides of the patient’s bed. The team discovered that 9.8% of the obtained samples representing 48% of the rooms tested indicated environmental growth of MDR-AB.
In addition, they also found that individuals with a recent history of MDR-AB colonization of infection were not considerably more likely to contaminate their environment compared to those with a remote history of MDR-AB.
According to the investigators there were several possible limitations, such as lack of a comparison group, small sample size and the inability to work out whether environmental contamination or patient colonization/infection came first. Furthermore, they did not analyze patient or healthcare worker movement, meaning they were unable to establish transmission of MDR-AB to patients as a result of environmental contamination.
Since the investigation was carried out, new techniques to reduce transmission of the germ have resulted in a considerable reduction in acquisition and infections.
They discovered that the most commonly contaminated surfaces were: floors (16%), bedrails (10.2%), drawer handles (20%), infusion pumps (14%) and ventilator touch pads (11.4%). They also found that 85% of environmental surfaces matched the strain of the individual infected in that room. The results raise concern due to the prevalence in which those in the healthcare profession touch infected surfaces during patient care.
The researchers conclude: “For patients with MDR-AB, the surrounding environment is frequently contaminated, even among patients with a remote history of MDR-AB. In addition, surfaces often touched by healthcare workers during routine patient care and commonly contaminated and may be a source of nosocomial transmission. The results of this study are consistent with studies of other important hospital pathogens such as as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and Clostridium difficile.”
Written by: Grace Rattue