Major Article
Microbial contamination of hospital bed handsets

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2004.11.005Get rights and content

Background

Hospital bed handsets, including nurse call equipment and television controls, have been found to contain biologic material and may be contaminated with microbes.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the microbial contamination of hospital bed handsets.

Methods

Hospital bed handsets were removed from 115 randomly chosen rooms in a suburban hospital. The handsets were transported to the laboratory in a sterile fashion and opened using a sterile technique, and cultures were obtained from both the anterior and posterior surfaces of the units.

Results

The cultures of 12 units (10.4%) revealed no microorganisms. One hundred three units (89.6%) had cultures that grew microorganisms. Of the handsets that were found to contain microorganisms, 48 units (46.6%) had only 1 microorganism, and 55 units (53.4%) had multiple organisms, including 33 units (32.0%) with 2 microorganisms, 21 units (20.4%) with 3 microorganisms, and 1 unit (1.0%) with 4 microorganisms. The microorganisms identified included 90 isolates (87.4%) of coagulase-negative staphylococcus, 51 isolates (49.5%) of bacillus species, 13 isolates (12.6%) of fungal species, 8 isolates (7.8%) of nonhemolytic streptococcus species, 7 isolates (6.8%) of α-hemolytic streptococcus species, 1 isolate (1.0%) of Staphylococcus aureus, and 1 isolate (1.0%) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Conclusion

Hospital bed handsets were found to have a high incidence of contamination with bacteria and fungus and were found to contain organisms that are known to be the etiologic agents in nosocomial infections. Because of the frequency and duration of contact between hospital patients and hospital bed handsets, existing infection control measures should be studied that could reduce the level of contamination of such handsets or that could isolate the handsets from the patient.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

The present study was carried out in 2003 in a suburban Texas hospital with 410 beds. A handset designed to facilitate nurse communication and television control was found in the beds of 370 rooms (90.2%). These handsets were manufactured by Curbell of Orchard Park, NY, and were classified as generation 2 (Gen2) or generation 3 (Gen3) series handsets. The authors' intent to study the microbial flora of these units was communicated to the local institutional review board, and consent was given

Results

The cultures of 12 units (10.4%) revealed no microorganisms. One hundred three units (89.6%) had cultures that grew microorganisms. Of the handsets that were found to contain microorganisms, 48 units (46.6%) had only 1 microorganism, and 55 units (53.4%) had multiple organisms, including 33 units (32.0%) with 2 microorganisms, 21 units (20.4%) with 3 microorganisms, and 1 unit (1.0%) with 4 microorganisms.

The microorganisms identified included 90 isolates (87.4%) of coagulase-negative

Discussion

This pilot study of the microbial contamination of hospital bed handsets found a high degree of contamination, including significant numbers of bacteria that are known to be the etiologic agent of nosocomial infections. The 2 most common organisms, coagulase-negative staphylococcus and bacillus species, are considered normal flora of the skin. Because the handsets have, by design, frequent contact with the skin, such contamination was expected. However, the high degree of such contamination,

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