Because they are frequently touched but rarely changed, protective and isolation curtains in hospitals prove to be a medium at particularly high risk of cross-contamination, reveals this analysis from a health services team in Winnipeg (Canada) . Contamination rates documented in the American Journal of Infection Control rather high: on the 14th day, 87.5% of the curtains are carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). So should we also change the curtains?
This is a longitudinal, prospective pilot study, which monitored the rate of contamination of 10 curtains, washed and clean at the start of the study, installed in the Burn Care Department. None of the cubicles in which the curtains had been installed were occupied by MRSA patients. 4 curtains were placed in a room with 4 beds; 4 in 2 double boxes; 2 “control” curtains in areas without direct contact with the patient or caregiver. While the curtains were little or not contaminated when they were put up,
- those curtains hung in patient rooms are increasingly and frequently found by MRSA;
- in contrast, control curtains that were not placed in patient rooms remained clean and germ-free during the 21-day study follow-up.
- increasing contamination resulted from direct contact.
- The high rate of contamination observed on the 14th day, i.e. nearly 90%, could represent the opportune or limiting moment to intervene, comment the researchers.
- On the 21st day, the bacterial density on all the curtains exceeds 2.5 CFU (colony forming units)/cm.
The prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) involves maintaining the asepsis of the patient's environment, the researchers conclude. Because the curtains of the patient cubicles prove to be a medium for the transmission of infections, it is imperative to respect a regular cleaning schedule, as for medical devices for example.