Medical News & Exposé
epi
Bryant Furlow, epiNewswire
June 11, 2010 — Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter appears to be
more easily transmitted than other hospital infections and the gowns,
gloves and unwashed hands of health care workers are frequently
contaminated with Acinetobacter, a new study reports.
Interactions between health care workers and Acinetobacter-colonized
patients resulted in contamination of gowns, gloves or hands roughly four
times as frequently (31.9 percent) as was the case with Pseudomonas-
colonized patients (8.2 percent).
"This relatively high frequency of MDR A. (Acinetobacter) baumannii
contamination suggests that A. baumannii has a higher propensity to be
transmitted to HCWs (health care workers) than do other MDR bacteria,"
the authors reported. "This may be a factor in nosocomial spread,
explaining in part the recent worldwide emergence of MDR A. baumannii."
The study, completed by a team of researchers at the University of
Maryland in Baltimore, was published online ahead of the July issue of
the medical journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Risk factors for contamination included manipulation of wound dressing
(adjusted odds ratio: 25.9, confidence intervals: 3.1-208.8), manipulation
of artificial airway (adj. OR 2.1, CIs 1.1-4), and spending longer than five
minutes in the patient's room (adj. OR 4.3, CIs 2-9.1).
Protective gloves reduced the incidence of Acinetobacter contamination
of health care workers' hands eight-fold, from 36 percent to 4.5 percent,
the authors reported. But based on their data, the authors conclude that
even with 70 to 80 percent adherence to hand washing and patient
contact protocols, "an ideal yet to be achieved in the majority of
hospitals," multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter contamination of health care
workers will likely be a daily occurrence in Intensive Care Units.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
The authors did not disclose any conflicts of interest. Financial support for the study
was provided by the pharmaceutical corporation Merck and the U.S. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (Grant K24AI079040-02, P.I. Anthony D. Harris.)
June 11, 2010 — Multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter appears to be
more easily transmitted than other hospital infections and the gowns,
gloves and unwashed hands of health care workers are frequently
contaminated with Acinetobacter, a new study reports.
Interactions between health care workers and Acinetobacter-colonized
patients resulted in contamination of gowns, gloves or hands roughly four
times as frequently (31.9 percent) as was the case with Pseudomonas-
colonized patients (8.2 percent).
"This relatively high frequency of MDR A. (Acinetobacter) baumannii
contamination suggests that A. baumannii has a higher propensity to be
transmitted to HCWs (health care workers) than do other MDR bacteria,"
the authors reported. "This may be a factor in nosocomial spread,
explaining in part the recent worldwide emergence of MDR A. baumannii."
The study, completed by a team of researchers at the University of
Maryland in Baltimore, was published online ahead of the July issue of
the medical journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Risk factors for contamination included manipulation of wound dressing
(adjusted odds ratio: 25.9, confidence intervals: 3.1-208.8), manipulation
of artificial airway (adj. OR 2.1, CIs 1.1-4), and spending longer than five
minutes in the patient's room (adj. OR 4.3, CIs 2-9.1).
Protective gloves reduced the incidence of Acinetobacter contamination
of health care workers' hands eight-fold, from 36 percent to 4.5 percent,
the authors reported. But based on their data, the authors conclude that
even with 70 to 80 percent adherence to hand washing and patient
contact protocols, "an ideal yet to be achieved in the majority of
hospitals," multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter contamination of health care
workers will likely be a daily occurrence in Intensive Care Units.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
The authors did not disclose any conflicts of interest. Financial support for the study
was provided by the pharmaceutical corporation Merck and the U.S. Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality (Grant K24AI079040-02, P.I. Anthony D. Harris.)
Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter commonly contaminates
health care workers' gowns, gloves and hands
health care workers' gowns, gloves and hands
Morgan DJ, Liang SY, Smith CL, et al. Frequent
multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii contamination
of gloves, gowns and hands of healthcare workers.
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 2010
(July);31(7):716-721.
multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii contamination
of gloves, gowns and hands of healthcare workers.
Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. 2010
(July);31(7):716-721.
The Acinetobacter Threat
Online Acinetobacter resources
Iraq Infections
Acinetobacter forum
American Contractors in Iraq
Civilian Contractors blog
Florida Infectious Diseases Forum
Iraq Infections
Acinetobacter forum
American Contractors in Iraq
Civilian Contractors blog
Florida Infectious Diseases Forum