title: A comparison of the recoverable proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from two different types of papers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Paper is used for various purposes in hospitals. Generally, there are two different types of paper, which are commonly used in our facility: wood-free paper, and paper containing wood. We compared the recoverable proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; ATCC 43300) from the surface of such papers.
  
  
  METHODS
  The papers were divided into two groups: Group 1: wood-free paper; Group 2: paper containing wood. The papers were contaminated in a standardized procedure with 0.1 mL of a 5×10(7) CFU MRSA/mL stock solution.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recoverable proportion of MRSA was higher in the wood-containing papers than in the papers without wood (P=0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that if paper is purchased for healthcare facilities it should not contain wood, but rather wood-free paper types should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Medical Faculty, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Yahsihan/Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Birgul
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kacmaz
authors.affiliation: Kirikkale University, Medical Faculty, Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Yahsihan/Kirikkale, Turkey.
authors.forename: Serdar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gul
keywords: MRSA; environmental contamination; methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; paper