Hospital floors are hotspots for healthcare-associated pathogens

Editor's Note

Healthcare-associated pathogens rapidly accumulate on the floors of patient rooms and can be transferred to patients’ socks, bedding, and high-touch surfaces, finds this study published November 2 as part of the proceedings from Decennial 2020: The Sixth International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Researchers from the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System tracked contamination in hospital rooms of 17 newly admitted patients. Before testing, the rooms were cleaned and sanitized, and all patients screened negative for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other healthcare-associated bacteria.

The researchers observed patients’ interactions with healthcare personnel and portable equipment, and collected cultures from patients, their socks, beds, and other high-touch surfaces (eg, tray table, call button, bedrail), plus key sections of the floor.

Nearly half of rooms tested positive for MRSA within 24 hours, and MRSA, Clostridioides difficile, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were found in 58% of rooms within 4 days of admission.

Contamination often started on the floors, but then moved to patients’ socks, bedding, and nearby surfaces. The direct transfer of healthcare-associated pathogens from personnel or equipment to high-touch surfaces was not detected.

In a related study, the same authors reported similar findings of COVID-19 on floors, high-touch surfaces, and socks inside patient rooms as well as contamination of floors and shoes of personnel outside patient rooms of a COVID-19 ward.