title: Recovery of resistant bacteria from mattresses of patients under contact precautions.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microorganisms may contaminate hospital mattresses even after terminal cleaning. We investigated the recovery of resistant bacteria from the mattresses of patients under contact precautions at a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study. Samples were obtained from the surface of mattresses, spread on replicate organism detection and counting plates, and cultivated at 37°C for 48 hours. After collecting samples, we identified microorganisms and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Vitek 2 (bioMérieux SA, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) automation system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We evaluated 51 mattresses. A total of 26 had resistant bacteria on the surface; the predominant species were Acinetobacter baumannii (69.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.5%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.5%). The median length of hospital stay was 41 days; the bed occupancy for patients under contact precautions and the time at which the patient was diagnosed as a carrier of resistant bacteria was 18 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The phenotypic similarity of A baumannii in inpatient units (mattresses) suggests circulation of the same strain. These results highlight the importance of controlling the potential spread of microorganisms through hospital mattresses.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberta El Hariri
authors.initials: Rel H
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Nursing, School of Nursing, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address: adrianacoliveira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adriana C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D001513:Beds / Q000382:microbiology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D010356:Patient Isolation; D010641:Phenotype
keywords: Antibiotic-resistant bacteria; Disinfection; Hospital infection; Patient safety