Investigating surface area and recovery efficiency of healthcare-associated pathogens to optimize composite environmental sampling.

Hospital surfaces are known to contribute to the spread of healthcare-associated antimicrobial pathogens. Environmental sampling can help locate reservoirs and determine intervention strategies, although sampling and detection can be labor intensive. Composite approaches may help reduce time and costs associated with sampling and detection.

Rapid Environmental Contamination With Candida auris and Multidrug-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens Near Colonized Patients.

Background: Environmental contamination is suspected to play an important role in Candida auris transmission. Understanding speed and risks of contamination after room disinfection could inform environmental cleaning recommendations.

Methods: We conducted a prospective multicenter study of environmental contamination associated with C.

Posttransfusion Sepsis Attributable to Bacterial Contamination in Platelet Collection Set Manufacturing Facility, United States.

During May 2018‒December 2022, we reviewed transfusion-transmitted sepsis cases in the United States attributable to polymicrobial contaminated apheresis platelet components, including Acinetobacter calcoaceticus‒baumannii complex or Staphylococcus saprophyticus isolated from patients and components. Transfused platelet components underwent bacterial risk control strategies (primary culture, pathogen reduction or primary culture, and secondary rapid test) before transfusion. Environmental samples were collected from a platelet collection set manufacturing facility.

Erratum: Multicenter evaluation of contamination of the healthcare environment near patients with Candida auris skin colonization - ERRATUM.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/ash.2022.

Surface area matters: An evaluation of swabs and surface area for environmental surface sampling of healthcare pathogens.

Flocked and foam swabs were used to sample five healthcare pathogens from three sizes of steel and plastic coupons; 26 cm, 323 cm, and 645 cm. As surface area increased, 1-2 log decrease in recovered organisms ( < .05) was observed.