Abstract

CATANO, Juan Carlos. Nosocomial pathogen colonization of hospital curtains. Infect. [online]. 2010, vol.14, n.2, pp.127-131. ISSN 0123-9392.

Background: Nosocomial infections are a serious healthcare associated problem in many hospitals in the world, and various vectors have been identified as responsible for nosocomial pathogen transmission. Healthcare personnel hands have been signalled as one of the most responsible factors, but very few other vectors such as curtains in our healthcare facilities have been considered. Objective: Identify the flora that colonizes the curtains used to protect patient privacy in different wards of a third level clinic in Medellin. Methods: A descriptive and prospective study was carried out, where three different culture types were performed, and all pathogens isolated from the curtains of five critical zones were submitted to susceptibility tests in a third level clinic of Medellin. Results were expressed as percentages according to the physical area of the clinic where the pathogens were isolated. Results: Isolations of Meticillin susceptible Staphylococcus haemolyticus(SHMS), Meticillin susceptible Staphylococcus epidermidis (SEMS), Stenotrophomonas malthophilia (SM), and Acinetobacter baumanii (AB) were cultured; they were distributed according to the corresponding critical area of the clinic. Conclusions: Hospital curtains are a potential source of nosocomial pathogen dissemination.

Keywords : infection; hospitals; curtains; cultures; colonization.

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