title: Hand sanitizer dispensers and associated hospital-acquired infections: friend or fomite?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizers are an increasingly popular method of hand hygiene and help prevent hospital-acquired infection (HAI). Whether hand sanitizer dispensers (HSDs) may themselves harbor pathogens or act as fomites has not been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  All HSDs in the surgical intensive care unit of an urban teaching hospital were cultured at three sites: The dispenser lever, the rear underside, and the area surrounding the dispensing nozzle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All HSDs yielded one or more bacterial species, including commensal skin flora and enteric gram-negative bacilli. Colonization was greatest on the lever, where there is direct hand contact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hand sanitizer dispensers can become contaminated with pathogens that cause HAI and thus are potential fomites.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York 10003, USA. seiref@chpnet.org
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Eiref
authors.forename: I Michael
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Leitman
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D050456:Fomites / Q000382:microbiology*; D006235:Hand Disinfection; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units