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Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (MDR-AB) was found inthe environment of 48 percent of the rooms of patients colonized orinfected with the pathogen, according to a new study published inthe November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control,the official publication of APIC the Association for Professionalsin Infection Control and Epidemiology. The study examined how frequently the environment surrounding thepatient becomes contaminated and which environmental surfaces aremost commonly contaminated. A team of researchers from the University of Maryland School ofMedicine took samples from ten surfaces in each of 50 roomsinhabited by patients with a recent (less than two months prior toenvironmental sampling) or remote (more than two months) history ofMDR-AB. Surfaces sampled included the door knob, bedrails, bedsidetable, vital sign monitor touchpad, nurse call button, sink, supplycart drawer handles, infusion pump, ventilator surface touch pad,as well as the floor on both sides of the patient's bed. Of these,9.8 percent of surface samples representing 48 percent of thetested rooms showed environmental growth of A. baumannii. Further, the study found that patients with a recent history ofMDR-AB colonization or infection were not significantly more likelythan those with a remote history of MDR-AB to contaminate theirenvironment. The authors note several potential limitations including smallsample size, lack of a comparison group, and the inability todetermine which came first: environmental contamination or patientcolonization/infection. In addition, the study did not evaluatehealthcare worker or patient movement and therefore cannotdemonstrate transmission of Acinetobacter baumannii to patients asa result of environmental contamination. Since the study was conducted, new strategies to reducetransmission of the pathogen have resulted in a significantdecrease in infections and acquisition. The research found that supply cart drawer handles (20 percent),floors (16 percent), infusion pumps (14 percent), ventilatortouchpads (11.4 percent) and bedrails (10.2 percent) were mostcommonly contaminated, and 85 percent of environmental culturesmatched the strain of the infected patient in that room. Theseresults are of particular concern due to the frequency with whichhealthcare workers may touch infected surfaces during patient care. "For patients with MDR-AB, the surrounding environment isfrequently contaminated, even among patients with a remote historyof MDR-AB," conclude the authors. "In addition, surfaces oftentouched by healthcare workers during routine patient care arecommonly contaminated and may be a source of nosocomialtransmission. The results of this study are consistent with studiesof other important hospital pathogens such as methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus andClostridium difficile." Acinetobacter baumannii is a species of gram-negative, multidrugresistant bacteria that has caused outbreaks of infection inhealthcare facilities over the last decade and considerable concernin the medical community. Infections from this pathogen primarilyoccur in very ill, wounded or immunocompromised patients. The germis capable of surviving on surfaces for prolonged periods of time,making it harder to eradicate. Additional References Citations. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Plastic Injection Molded Parts , Two Shot Moulding, and more. For more , please visit Injection Mold Parts today!
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