Hospital privacy curtains can be source of MRSA

Infection Control

Hospital privacy curtains can be source of MRSA

Without timely intervention, privacy curtains in hospitals can become breeding grounds for resistant bacteria, posing a threat to patient safety, according to research[1] published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

The longitudinal, prospective, pilot study tracked the contamination rate of ten freshly laundered privacy curtains in the Regional Burns/Plastics Unit of the Health Services Center in Winnipeg, Canada. While the curtains had minimal contamination when they were first hung, the curtains that were hung in patient rooms became increasingly contaminated over time – and by day 14, 87.5 percent of the curtains tested positive for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a pathogen associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In contrast, control curtains that were not placed in patient rooms stayed clean the entire 21 days.

None of the rooms where the curtains were placed were occupied by patients with MRSA. Four curtains were placed in a four-bed room; four were placed in two double rooms; and two controls were placed in areas without direct patient or caregiver contact. Researchers took samples from areas where people hold curtains, suggesting that the increasing contamination resulted from direct contact.

“We know that privacy curtains pose a high risk for cross-contamination because they are frequently touched but infrequently changed,” said Kevin Shek, BSc, the study’s lead author. “The high rate of contamination that we saw by the fourteenth day may represent an opportune time to intervene, either by cleaning or replacing the curtains.”

By day 21, almost all curtains exceeded 2.5 CFU/cm, the requirement for food processing equipment cleanliness in some locations, such as the United Kingdom.

“Keeping the patient’s environment clean is a critical component in preventing healthcare-associated infections,” said 2018 APIC President Janet Haas, PhD, RN, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. “Because privacy curtains could be a mode of disease transmission, maintaining a schedule of regular cleaning offers another potential way to protect patients from harm while they are in our care.”

The study authors acknowledge the small sample size of this pilot study and recommend additional research to understand the clinical consequences of contaminated curtains.

References

1. “Rate of contamination of hospital privacy curtains in a burns/plastics ward:

A longitudinal study.” K. Shek, et al.

American Journal of Infection Control, volume 46, issue 9. Sept 2018. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2018.03.004

Intersurgical

FiltaMask medium concentration mask from Intersurgical

FiltaMask™ combines an oxygen delivery system with a filter media covering the exhalation ports. FiltaMask is intended for use on adult patients with respiratory infections who may be a source of aerosolised infectious pathogens and who also require supplementary oxygen.

Patients with respiratory infections have specific needs and yet pose a specific risk. Conventional oxygen masks can generate a plume of particles from their exhalation ports, which can travel a distance of 0.4 metres[1] [2] resulting in a potential risk.

FiltaMask is designed to reduce the risk to paramedics, hospital staff and visitors[3] .

Features and benefits include: - Incurved face seal providing improved level of fit and comfort - On-chin positioning providing a better fit to a wider range of face shapes - Low elastic position eliminating trauma to the patient’s ears - Integral filter media reducing the risk of escaping aerosols

An information sheet for the FiltaMask and the oxygen therapy training video can be found on the product pages of our website, and the product is part of the Infection Control range of options which may be used to help reduce the risk of cross contamination between patients and health care workers in the clinical environment. Visit our website to view the full range: www.intersurgical.com/info/InfectionControl

References

[1] Airflows around Oxygen Masks. David S. Hui et al: Chest. 2006;130:822-826 [2] Exhaled Air Dispersion During Oxygen Delivery via a Simple Oxygen

Mask. David S. Hui et al: Chest. 2007;132:540-546 [3] Oxygen Administration and the Protection of Health-Care Workers

From Infections. Joseph A. Fisher. Chest.2007;131:941-942

Blue Ocean Robotics

Making robots to enhance healthcare

Innovative Danish company Blue Ocean Robotics believes in “Robots for Humans”. The company develops service robots to help improve efficiency of workflow, enhance quality of care and reduce healthcare costs. It is the first of its kind in the world – a robot venture factory.

Each of the company’s three robots currently available on the market – UVD Robot®, GoBe Robot®, and PTR Robot® – is set up in its own subsidiary, a venture capital company focused on commercialization, global distribution and growth.

Three robots

The three robots help healthcare institutions to improve efficiency of workflow and protect patients and caregivers.

The UVD Robot is a fully autonomous disinfection robot that reduces the risk of Healthcare Associated Infections. It kills more than 99.99% pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 within minutes.

The UVD Robot uses concentrated germicidal UV-C light to destroy bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microbes, including SARS-CoV-2, on surfaces and in the air. It autonomously disinfects patient waiting rooms, wards, operating theatres and clinics.

With its pioneering technology, this iF Design Award-winning robot can navigate safely by itself while ensuring all relevant and contaminated surfaces are exposed with the right amount of UV-C light. The Danish invention is the only autonomous UV-C system in the world which disinfects the environment without putting caregivers at risk.

The GoBe Robot is a remote-controlled telepresence robot enabling doctors, specialists and other healthcare professionals to visit patients from remote locations. The robot has been greatly appreciated, especially during the pandemic, by helping people stay connected, without engaging in physical interactions, thereby minimising the risk of spreading infections.

The PTR Robot is a patient transfer and rehabilitation solution that can flexibly move around at hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and nursing homes. It helps individuals with impaired functions to be transferred and rehabilitated and relieves the strain on staff, releasing them from labour-intensive tasks, thus helping to optimize human resources. In addition, the PTR Robot lowers the risk of infection, because only one caregiver needs to be present to perform a patient transfer.

With the PTR Robot, patient transfer and rehabilitation become easier, more efficient and of higher quality for both patients and caregivers. By moving from passive patient lifts to active and sensing patient lifts, the patient rehabilitation is able to start much sooner.

Making our world more sustainable

“At Blue Ocean Robotics we embrace our vision to create Robots for Humans. Our approach is to leverage robotic technology to meet customer needs based on a profound understanding of our customers. With a presence in more than 70 countries, we strive to connect and partner with people and organisations everywhere to offer our service robots to benefit more healthcare organizations all over the world,” says Claus Risager, CEO, Blue Ocean Robotics.

Claus Risager, CEO, Blue Ocean Robotics

People use our robots to make their way of work more meaningful, rewarding and healthier. We improve quality-oflife and productivity. We make robots for humans. – Claus Risager, CEO, Blue Ocean Robotics