Significant reduction of nosocomial pneumonia after introduction of disinfection of upper airways using povidone-iodine in geriatric wards.
We investigated the efficacy of disinfection of the upper airway using povidone-iodine against nosocomial pneumonia in geriatric wards. Cases of nosocomial pneumonia were retrospectively analyzed between January 1991 and March 1995 in geriatric wards (190 beds). Moreover, the relationship concerning methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates between patient and environment was investigated using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with the SmaI restriction enzyme. The incidence of nosocomial pneumonia decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Major causative organisms of nosocomial pneumonia were MRSA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which significantly decreased. PFGE studies showed that the patterns of MRSA isolates show a strong association between patient and environment. Our study indicates that disinfection of the upper airways by povidone-iodine is very important in the prevention of nosocomial pneumonia in geriatric wards.
Department of Internal Medicine, Tagami Hospital, Nagasaki 851-0251, Japan. tagami-hp.ikyoku@sirius.ocn.ne.jp
Hironori
H
Masaki
Tsuyoshi
T
Nagatake
Norichika
N
Asoh
Hiroyuki
H
Yoshimine
Kiwao
K
Watanabe
Hiroshi
H
Watanabe
Kazunori
K
Oishi
Naoto
N
Rikitomi
Keizo
K
Matsumoto
D000368:Aged; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D002353:Carrier State; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D005853:Geriatrics; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology; D009296:Nasal Cavity / Q000382:microbiology; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011206:Povidone-Iodine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification
D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; D011206:Povidone-Iodine