Bacterial contamination in a modern operating suite, 2. Effect of a zoning system on contamination of floors and other surfaces.
(41/44)
In this investigation the bacterial contamination of surfaces such as walls and floors in a modern operating suite, together with surfaces of lamps in the operating theatres, and the clogs worn by staff, was studied. Counts of colony-forming units were made on impression plates containing blood-agar with Tween 80 for total bacterial counts, Baird Parker medium with egg yolk and tellurite for Staphylococcus aureus and trypticase peptone agar with neomycin and polymyxin for Clostridium spp. The areas examined were divided into the patients' route to the operating theatre, the staff's route, and the central area containing the operating rooms, anaesthetic rooms, and exit and scrub-up areas. In the patients' route counts of total organisms ranged from about 10000 to 30000/m2; for Staph. aureus the range was from 70 to 540/m2. In the staff's route the highest count was about 70000/m2 in the dressing area, and the numbers of Staph. aureus were about the same as along the patients' route. In the inner zone the counts were somewhat lower for both total organisms and Staph. aureus. Total counts on the floor from all areas of the inner zone were significantly higher just before the second operation than before the first operation on the same day. The total and Staph. aureus counts on walls, floors and lamps were the same after clean operations as after operations classified as "contaminated" or "dirty". (+info)
Carpeting in hospitals: an epidemiological evaluation.
(42/44)
Epidemiological and microbiological studies were conducted in a hospital room with carpet (CR) and in one with carpet (NCR). Microbiological profiles were determined with specimens obtained from patients admitted to these rooms. Patient records were reviewed to note infection status and other case identities. Eleven-millimeter cylindrical core samples of carpet were obtained, and swab template techniques were used on the bare floor for subsequent enumeration and identification of contaminating microorganisms. In each sampling period, higher microbial counts per square inch (1 in(2) = ca 6.452 cm(2)) were measured for the carpet than for the bare floor. Recovery rates of Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli were higher from carpet samples than from bare floor samples. Typable organisms (such as E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus) obtained from patients were also more frequently recovered from the carpet than from the bare flooring. Patients who stayed in the CR were shown to be colonized with the same types of organisms as those initially recovered from the carpet. However, no statistically significant differences were found in patients in the CR versus NCR in colonization with all typable and nontypable organisms first found on the floor. Disease in patients was found not to be associated with organisms found as contaminants of the carpet or the bare floor. Air above carpeting contained more consistent concentrations of organisms than air above the bare flooring. (+info)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in hospital: a comparison between 'infective' and 'environmental' strains.
(43/44)
One hundred and fifty-six infections or episodes of infection associated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in six hospitals over 14 months were investigated. Pyocine typing and serotyping suggested that 145 distinct episodes had occurred, caused by 78 different strains. During this period 15 distinct strains were isolated from the environment at one of the hospitals; 12 of these were apparently unassociated with infection in the same ward during the period, and 4 were of types not encountered in infective processes at any hospital. There appeared to be a rather higher proportion of unclassifiable pyocine inhibition patterns among the environmental strains; in general these strains also produced smaller amounts of haemolysin. If failure to produce haemolysin in vitro is correlated with lack of virulence in vivo, this may partially explain the sporadic nature of hospital infection with Ps. aeruginosa, despite the prevalence of strains of this species in the environment. (+info)
Impact of regular relaxation training on the cardiac autonomic nervous system of hospital cleaners and bank employees.
(44/44)
The work-related strain of 50 female hospital cleaners and 48 female bank employees was recorded during a period of rationalization in the workplace, and the effect of daily relaxation to help the workers cope was tested. The subjects were arranged into age-matched pairs and randomly allocated into intervention and reference groups. The intervention period lasted six months. The relaxation method was brief and easily introduced as an alternative break in the workplace. Each training session lasted 15 min. A microcomputer-based system was used to record heart rate variability in response to quiet breathing, the Valsalva maneuver, deep breathing, and active orthostatic tests. Cardiac reflexes indicated that occupational strain (especially of a mental nature) caused the functioning of the autonomic nervous system to deteriorate. Regular deep relaxation normalized the function and improved the ability to cope. (+info)