Air and surface contamination patterns of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on eight acute hospital wards

作者：Creamer E; Shore A C; Deasy E C; Galvin S; Dolan A; Walley N; McHugh S; Fitzgerald Hughes D; Sullivan D J; Cunney R; Coleman D C; Humphreys H^*

来源：Journal of Hospital Infection, 2014, 86(3): 201-208.

DOI：10.1016/j.jhin.2013.12.005

• Air sampling
• Cross-transmission
• DNA microarray profiling
• Environmental sampling
• Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• spa typing

Background: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can be recovered from hospital air and from environmental surfaces. This poses a potential risk of transmission to patients. %26lt;br%26gt;Aim: To investigate associations between MRSA isolates recovered from air and environmental surfaces with those from patients when undertaking extensive patient and environmental sampling. %26lt;br%26gt;Methods: This was a prospective observational study of patients and their environment in eight wards of a 700-bed tertiary care hospital during 2010 and 2011. Sampling of patients, air and surfaces was carried out on all ward bays, with more extended environmental sampling in ward high-dependency bays and at particular times of the day. The genetic relatedness of isolates was determined by DNA microarray profiling and spa typing. %26lt;br%26gt;Findings: MRSA was recovered from 30/706 (4.3%) patients and from 19/132 (14.4%) air samples. On 9/132 (6.8%) occasions both patient and air samples yielded MRSA. In 32 high-dependency bays, MRSA was recovered from 12/161 (7.4%) patients, 8/32 (25%) air samples, and 21/644 (3.3%) environmental surface samples. On 10/132 (7.6%) occasions, MRSA was isolated from air in the absence of MRSA-positive patients. Patient demographic data combined with spa typing and DNA microarray profiling revealed four likely transmission clusters, where patient and environmental isolates were deemed to be very closely related. %26lt;br%26gt;Conclusion: Air sampling yielded MRSA on frequent occasions, especially in high-dependency bays. Environmental and air sampling combined with patient demographic data, spa typing and DNA microarray profiling indicated the presence of clusters that were not otherwise apparent.

• 出版日期2014-3