Microbial burden on environmental surfaces in long-term care facilities: a quantitative analysis.

Background: We conducted a quantitative analysis of the microbial burden and prevalence of epidemiologically important pathogens (EIP) found on long-term care facilities (LTCF) environmental surfaces.

Methods: Microbiological samples were collected using Rodac plates (25cm2/plate) from resident rooms and common areas in five LTCFs. EIP were defined as MRSA, VRE, C.

How long do bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses retain their replication capacity on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review examining environmental resilience versus healthcare-associated infection risk by "fomite-borne risk assessment".

SUMMARYIn healthcare settings, contaminated surfaces play an important role in the transmission of nosocomial pathogens potentially resulting in healthcare-associated infections (HAI). Pathogens can be transmitted directly from frequent hand-touch surfaces close to patients or indirectly by staff and visitors. HAI risk depends on exposure, extent of contamination, infectious dose (ID), virulence, hygiene practices, and patient vulnerability.

A novel approach for safe and automated implementation of far ultraviolet-C light decontamination in clinical areas.

A novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology providing automated delivery of far UV-C only when people are not present reduced methicillin-resistant in a patient room and equipment room. The safety feature that discontinues far UV-C output when people are detected was effective in preventing far UV-C exposure.

Reprocessing semicritical items: An overview and an update on the shift from HLD to sterilization for endoscopes.

Background: Semicritical medical devices are defined as items that come into contact with mucous membranes or nonintact skin (e.g., gastrointestinal endoscopes, endocavitary probes).

Sterilization of 20 billion medical devices by ethylene oxide (ETO): Consequences of ETO closures and alternative sterilization technologies/solutions.

Background: To prevent healthcare-associated infections, it is essential that critical medical devices be sterilized before use. Although there are several sterilization technologies for medical devices, only ethylene oxide (ETO) sterilization has virtually universal material compatibility.

Methods: We searched the published English literature (Google, Google scholar and PubMed) for articles on the sterilization of medical devices by ethylene oxide, the consequences of ETO closures, and alternative sterilization technologies/solutions.

Risk of disease transmission to patients from "contaminated" surgical instruments and immediate use steam sterilization.

Background: There are several sources of pathogens that cause surgical site infections (SSI) to include the patients endogenous microflora and exogenous sources (e.g., air, surfaces, staff, surgical equipment).

Disinfection, sterilization and antisepsis: An overview.

Background: Each year in the United States there are approximately 100,000,000 outpatient/inpatient surgical procedures. Each of these procedures involves contact by a medical device or surgical instrument with a patient's sterile tissue and/or mucous membrane. A major risk of all such procedures is the introduction of infection.

Emerging infectious diseases, focus on infection prevention, environmental survival and germicide susceptibility: SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and Candida auris.

Background: New and emerging infectious diseases continue to represent a public health threat. Emerging infectious disease threats include pathogens increasing in range (eg, Mpox), zoonotic microbes jumping species lines to cause sustained infections in humans via person-to-person transmission (SARS-CoV-2) and multidrug-resistant pathogens (eg, Candida auris).

Materials And Methods: We searched the published English literature and reviewed the selected articles on SARS-CoV-2, Mpox, and Candida auris with a focus on environmental survival, contamination of the patient's hospital environment, susceptibility of the pathogen to antiseptics and disinfectants and infection prevention recommendations.

Evaluation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in home kitchens and bathrooms: Is there a link between home disinfectant use and antibiotic resistance?

Objective: To determine the relationship between home disinfectant use and the prevalence of antibiotic resistance among environmental isolates of human pathogens.

Methods: Bacteria were cultured from 5 kitchen and 5 bathroom sites using quantitative methods. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by standard methods.

Role of the contaminated environment in transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms in nursing homes and infection prevention.

Background: With aging of the population in the United States, there are more people in long-term care facilities than in hospitals. Nursing home residents have a high prevalence of colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs). A shared environment with vulnerable patients can facilitate intra- and inter-facility transmission of MDROs.

..úNo touch..Ñ methods for health care room disinfection: Focus on clinical trials.

Background: Hospital patient room surfaces are frequently contaminated with multidrug-resistant organisms. Since studies have demonstrated that inadequate terminal room disinfection commonly occurs, ..

Disinfection and sterilization: New technologies.

Background: Adherence to professional guidelines and/or manufacturer's instructions for use regarding proper disinfection and sterilization of medical devices is crucial to preventing cross transmission of pathogens between patients. Emerging pathogens (e.g.

Biofilms on medical instruments and surfaces: Do they interfere with instrument reprocessing and surface disinfection.

Background: Biofilms are surface-attached communities of bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix. This matrix shields the resident cells from desiccation, chemical perturbation, invasion by other bacteria, and confers reduced susceptibility to antibiotics and disinfectants. There is growing evidence that biofilms on medical instruments (especially endoscopes) and environmental surfaces interfere with cleaning and disinfection.

Inactivation and/or physical removal of from floors by detergent cleaner, disinfectants, microfiber, and ultraviolet C light (UV-C).

Contaminated surfaces may be a source of transmission for the globally emerging pathogen, . Because floors may be a source of contamination on hands, strategies for inactivating or removing from floors were investigated. A sporicidal disinfectant and UV-C were most effective in inactivating on floors.

A comparison of methods for microbiologic environmental sampling.

We compared the effectiveness of 4 sampling methods to recover , and from contaminated environmental surfaces: cotton swabs, RODAC culture plates, sponge sticks with manual agitation, and sponge sticks with a stomacher. Organism type was the most important factor in bacterial recovery.

A randomized trial of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light versus sodium hypochlorite delivered by an electrostatic sprayer for adjunctive decontamination of hospital rooms.

In a randomized trial, adjunctive ultraviolet-C light treatment with a room decontamination device and sodium hypochlorite delivered via an electrostatic sprayer were similarly effective in significantly reducing residual healthcare-associated pathogen contamination on floors and high-touch surfaces after manual cleaning and disinfection. Less time until the room was ready to be occupied by another patient was required for electrostatic spraying.

Waterborne Outbreaks in Hemodialysis Patients and Infection Prevention.

Individuals treated with dialysis are at high risk for healthcare-associated infections. We conducted a literature review of outbreaks associated with water in hemodialysis during years 2011-2021 to understand the role of water as a source of infections for patients receiving hemodialysis with a focus on the risks associated with dialysis water and dialysate. For dialysis patients, water and dialysate have been a source of healthcare-associated pathogens, including nontuberculous mycobacteria and gram-negative bacilli as well as systemic reactions due to gram-negative bacilli-associated endotoxin.

Continuously active disinfectant inactivates severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and human coronavirus 229E two days after the disinfectant was applied and following wear exposures.

The surface environment in rooms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients may be persistently contaminated despite disinfection. A continuously active disinfectant demonstrated excellent sustained antiviral activity following a 48-hour period of wear and abrasion exposures with reinoculations. Reductions of >4-log were achieved within a 1-minute contact time for severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the human coronavirus, 229E.

Transfer efficiency of an enveloped virus, human coronavirus 229E, from various hard surface fomites to finger pads of the hands.

Respiratory viruses can be transmitted by fomite contact, but no data currently exist on the transfer of enveloped viruses. The transfer efficiency of human coronavirus from various hard surfaces ranged from 0.46% to 49.

Disinfection and Sterilization in Health Care Facilities: An Overview and Current Issues.

All invasive procedures involve contact by a medical device or surgical instrument with a patient's sterile tissue or mucous membranes. The level of disinfection is dependent on the intended use of the object: critical, semicritical, or noncritical. New issues and practices can affect the risk of infection associated with devices and surfaces.

Impact of Oral Metronidazole, Vancomycin, and Fidaxomicin on Host Shedding and Environmental Contamination With Clostridioides difficile.

Background: Shedding of Clostridioides difficile spores from infected individuals contaminates the hospital environment and contributes to infection transmission. We assessed whether antibiotic selection affects C. difficile shedding and contamination of the hospital environment.

Inactivation of and by ultraviolet-C.

We evaluated the ability of an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) room decontamination device to kill and . With an organic challenge (fetal calf serum), the UV-C device demonstrated the following log reductions for of 4.57 and for of 5.