Cleaned, ready-to-use, reusable electrocardiographic lead wires as a source of pathogenic microorganisms.
BACKGROUND
Cleaned electrocardiographic lead wires are a potential source of microorganisms capable of causing nosocomial infection.


OBJECTIVE
To examine fungal and bacterial growth on cleaned reusable lead wires, determine if microbial growth is associated with hospital site or work environment, determine the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and learn if antibiotic-resistant bacteria are associated with hospital site and work environment.


METHODS
Cleaned lead wires (N = 320) from critical care and telemetry units, emergency departments, and operating rooms of 4 hospitals were swabbed and the specimens cultured for microbial growth. Bacterial species were grouped by their risk for human infection: at risk (n = 9), potential risk (n = 5), and no risk (n = 10). Work environments were compared by using pairwise contrasts from a generalized estimating equation model.


RESULTS
Fungi were rare (0.6%). Of 226 cultures from 201 wires (62.8%) with bacterial growth, 121 were of at- or potential-risk bacteria (37.8%). Urban hospitals had less growth (P ≤ .001) and fewer bacterial species per wire (P ≤ .001) than did community hospitals. Presence of any bacteria (P = .02) and number of bacterial species per wire (P = .002) were lowest in operating rooms; emergency departments and telemetry units had more growth than did critical care units. Among specimens of staphylococci and enterococci, 6 each were sensitive to antibiotics; of 4 resistant staphylococcal species, 1 was not a human opportunistic pathogen and 3 were potential-risk species.


CONCLUSIONS
Bacteria are common on reusable, cleaned lead wires and differ by hospital and clinical area.
Heart and Vascular Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. albertn@ccf.org
Nancy M
NM
Albert
Kelly
K
Hancock
Terri
T
Murray
Matthew
M
Karafa
Jack C
JC
Runner
Susan B
SB
Fowler
Colleen Austel
CA
Nadeau
Karen L
KL
Rice
Susan
S
Krajewski
D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004389:Durable Medical Equipment / Q000382:microbiology*; D004559:Electric Wiring / Q000382:microbiology*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D014481:United States