Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) is commonly found in sinks located near patients toilets in hospital rooms. These sinks act as reservoirs and increase the risk of dangerous germs transmission, finds new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC).
The study found a high prevalence of KPC positivity in sink drains located next to toilets. Of the samples tested, 87.0 percent of patient sinks next to toilets tested positive for KPC - in stark comparison to the 21.7 percent of sink drains located closer to the entry door of the room.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can be caused by a bacteria or a virus. It causes inflammation of the alveoli or the air sacs of the lungs.
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‘Klebsiella bacterium causes numerous healthcare associated infections such as pneumonia, blood infections, wound infections and surgical infections.’
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Klebsiella is a type of bacteria that can cause a number of healthcare associated infections, such as pneumonia, bloodstream infections, wound infections, or surgical site infections. Increasingly, Klebsiella bacteria have developed antimicrobial resistance, most recently to the class of antibiotics known as carbapenems.
In four of five rooms in which the entry-door sink tested positive, the sink near the toilet was also positive, suggesting a potential source for cross-contamination within the same room.
![Respiratory Diseases]( "Respiratory Diseases")
Respiratory diseases affect any part of the respiratory system. Some of the lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to respiratory failure.
Researchers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin performed the study in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a 600-bed Wisconsin hospital. The MICU did not have any documented interactions with KPC-producing organisms within the past year.
"This study, if validated, could have major implications for infection control," agree study authors, Blake Buchan, PhD, and Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD. "If sinks next to toilets are indeed a reservoir for KPC, additional interventions - such as modified hand hygiene practices and sink disinfection protocols - may be needed to stem the risk of transmission among healthcare providers and patients alike."
This is the first study to directly examine the relevance of sink proximity to toilets in patient rooms. The researchers point out that while it is not clear how contamination occurs, it is plausible that biofilms growing in pipes shared between toilets and sinks or that flushing generates contaminated drops that reach the sink drains.
"The results of this study demonstrate the importance of remaining vigilant to potential areas of cross-contamination," said 2019 APIC President Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. "Maintaining a strong understanding of environmental risks is critical to protecting patient safety, and this is yet another example of how germs can lurk in often the most unexpected of places."
Source: Eurekalert
Respiratory Diseases
Respiratory diseases affect any part of the respiratory system. Some of the lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can lead to respiratory failure.
Advertisement
Researchers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin performed the study in the medical intensive care unit (MICU) of a 600-bed Wisconsin hospital. The MICU did not have any documented interactions with KPC-producing organisms within the past year.
"This study, if validated, could have major implications for infection control," agree study authors, Blake Buchan, PhD, and Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD. "If sinks next to toilets are indeed a reservoir for KPC, additional interventions - such as modified hand hygiene practices and sink disinfection protocols - may be needed to stem the risk of transmission among healthcare providers and patients alike."
This is the first study to directly examine the relevance of sink proximity to toilets in patient rooms. The researchers point out that while it is not clear how contamination occurs, it is plausible that biofilms growing in pipes shared between toilets and sinks or that flushing generates contaminated drops that reach the sink drains.
"The results of this study demonstrate the importance of remaining vigilant to potential areas of cross-contamination," said 2019 APIC President Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. "Maintaining a strong understanding of environmental risks is critical to protecting patient safety, and this is yet another example of how germs can lurk in often the most unexpected of places."
Source: Eurekalert
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in Children
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of lower respiratory tract infections. RSV infection is usually mild and self-limiting but symptoms may be severe in young children, the elderly and those with a weak immunity.
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 Legionnaires’ diseaseLegionnaires' disease is a severe form of pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria. The infection is likely to spread when people inhale tiny water droplets containing the bacteria. | Advertisement
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