Impact of terminal cleaning in rooms previously occupied by patients with healthcare-associated infections

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305083
• Publication Date: 2024-07-10T17:32:04Z
• Authors: Marc Verhougstraete; Emily Cooksey; Jennifer-Pearce W...; Amanda M. Wilson; Madeline S. Lewis; Aaron Yoder; Gabriela Elizondo...; Munthir Almoslem; Emily Forysiak; Mark H. Weir
• Keywords: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Acinetobacter baumannii; Cross Infection; Infection Control; Clostridioides difficile; Science; Q; R; Housekeeping, Hospital; Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci; 03 medical and health sciences; Patients' Rooms; Medicine; Humans; 0305 other medical science; Research Article

Healthcare associated infections (HAIs) are costly but preventable. A limited understanding of the effects environmental cleaning on riskiest HAI pathogens is a current challenge in prevention. This project aimed to quantify terminal hospital practices via sampling three hospitals located throughout United States. Surfaces were swabbed from 36 occupied patient rooms with laboratory-confirmed, hospital- or community-acquired infection at least one four interest (i.e., Acinetobacter baumannii ( . ), methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin Enterococcus faecalis/faecium (VRE), and Clostridioides difficile C )). Six nonporous, high touch surfaces chair handrail, bed nurse call button, desk surface, bathroom counter near sink, grab bar toilet) sampled each room for Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) before after cleaning. The detected cleaning, their levels generally reduced. Overall, was confirmed (n = 2), while MRSA 24) VRE 25) all surface types After only 6) button 5) toilet bar, 1) confirmed. At 2 3 hospitals, reduced by >99% during One showed that increased 73% 50% sink. ATP detections did not correlate any pathogen concentration. study highlights importance indicates improvement reduce contamination rooms.