title: Bacterial contamination of saline nasal spray/drop solution in patients with respiratory tract infection.
abstract: This study evaluated the potential for bacterial contamination of saline nasal spray/drop solution after 3 days of clinical use in patients. Twenty patients with upper respiratory infection used the saline as a spray, and 20 patients used the solution as drops. Bacterial growth was present in 18 (907%) solution containers of the spray group and in 3 (157%) solution containers of the drops group (P <.005). Twenty isolates were recovered from the spray group and 3 from the drops group. The predominate isolates included Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, alpha Streptococcus species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Proteus spp. This study demonstrates the contamination of nasal saline-dispensing solution used as a spray with micro-organisms that are part of the normal skin and nasal flora and gram-negative organisms of potential enteric origin. These data support the use of nasal saline-dispensing solution as drops, rather than as spray. They also illustrate the risk for crossinfection if a nasal solution is used by more than 1 patient.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004340:Drug Contamination; D006801:Humans; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D012462:Saline Solution, Hypertonic