Study looks at contamination of frequently touched hospital objects

Study shows bacterial contamination for elevator buttons, door handles and phones


A recent study examined the bacterial contamination of common objects frequently touched by patients, visitors and healthcare workers in a hospital in Nepal, according to an article on the Becker's Clinical Leadership and Infection Control.

Research published in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control collected 232 samples from various sites, including the surface of biometric attendance devices, elevator buttons, door handles and staircase railings and phones.

The most common contamination for the following objects are:

Elevator buttons

• S. aureus: 22.9 percent

Biometric attendance devices 

• S. aureus: 33.3 percent

Door handles 

• S. aureus: 16.2 percent

Telephone sets 

• Micrococcus species: 36.6 percent 

Railing 

• Diphtheroids: 20 percent

Water taps 

• Diphtheroids: 23.3 percent

Read the article.

 

 



August 15, 2018


Topic Area: Infection Control


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