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(HealthDay News) – Contamination with multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) may persist even following terminal cleaning of hospital rooms, according to a study published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Paula Strassle, from the University of Maryland in Baltimore, and colleagues evaluated the prevalence of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii contamination, a source of hospital-acquired infections, before and after discharge cleaning with a hospital-grade disinfectant in rooms of infected/colonized patients.
The researchers found that, before cleaning, 46.9% of rooms and 15.3% of sites were positive for A. baumannii, with the highest rates of contamination on the floor, supply cart, bed rails, and ventilator. After terminal cleaning, 25% of rooms and 5.5% of sites were found to be positive for A. baumannii. Sites with persistent contamination included the floor, bedside table, call button, door handles, and supply cart.
“In conclusion, environmental sites in rooms of patients colonized or infected with A. baumannii are frequently contaminated with this organism,” the authors write. “Even after cleaning, >25% of rooms remain contaminated, representing a potential source of transmission. Additional studies are needed to assess more optimal methods of room cleaning and disinfection to prevent hospital associated infections and their spread.”
