Abstract
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to be a problem for hospitals and patients around the world. However, there is little to no focus on the day-to-day transfer of bacteria that cause these types of infections. Supplies used by healthcare professionals such as stethoscopes, phones and tablet computers can serve as a vehicle of transmission for bacteria that cause HAIs, yet few healthcare facilities have policies addressing the routine cleaning of these supplies. The purpose of this analysis was to explore the evidence related to the cleaning of supplies and its effect on the rate of HAIs. The following PICO question was used to guide the research: In hospitalized patients, does sanitizing of supplies used by nurses between each patient compared to no sanitizing (or inconsistent sanitizing) affect healthcare-associated infections? Six articles were reviewed to determine whether a relationship between cleaning supplies and HAIs exists. Studies examined the frequency in which supplies were cleaned, the types of disinfecting solutions used and the common bacteria found on a variety of supplies. Bacteria capable of producing different types of HAIs were found on all supplies used by healthcare workers. Disinfecting supplies even once a shift reduces the number of bacteria found. Results suggest that policies directed toward routinely disinfecting supplies should be enforced in all healthcare facilities as a measure to improve patient safety. Routinely disinfecting supplies can reduce the number of bacteria capable of producing HAIs and prevent the transfer between healthcare workers' supplies and patients.
Keywords
Bacteria, Disinfection, Healthcare, Healthcare-Associated Infections, Hospital-Acquired Infections, Infection, Infection Control, Nursing, Nursing Supplies, Patients, Patient Safety, Phones, Safety, Sanitation, Supplies, Stethoscopes, Tablet Computers.
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