Microbial flora on operating room telephones.
Approximately 500,000 surgical site infections (SSIs) occur each year in the United States. The purpose of this study was to determine if the bacteria most frequently involved in SSIs could be found on telephones in the OR. Twenty-six cultures were taken from telephones in 14 ORs and two substerile rooms at a large teaching medical center. Using standard laboratory procedures, the researchers identified coagulase-negative staphylococci in the cultures. The study found that telephones in the OR can serve as reservoirs for SSI-causing bacteria.
Nelson
Jason
J
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
Bivens
Ava
A
Shinn
Antoinette
A
Wanzer
Linda
L
Kasper
Christine
C
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D009873:Operating Rooms; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission; D013689:Telephone