Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/10116
Title: Risk of environmental and healthcare worker contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci during outpatient procedures and hemodialysis.
Austin Authors: Grabsch, Elizabeth A ;Burrell, Laurelle J;Padiglione, Alexander;O'Keeffe, Jason M;Ballard, Susan A;Grayson, M Lindsay 
Affiliation: Microbiology
Issue Date: 28-Feb-2006
Publication information: Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology 2006; 27(3): 287-93
Abstract: To assess the risk of environmental and healthcare worker (HCW) contamination with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) during outpatient procedures performed on fecally continent patients currently colonized with VRE (cVRE) or previously colonized with VRE (pVRE).Observational study.Outpatient consultation and radiology rooms and the hemodialysis unit in a university teaching hospital.Fecally continent cVRE and pVRE patients.Both cVRE and pVRE patients attended standardized mock outpatient consultations and routine hemodialysis sessions in an area that had been thoroughly cleaned and microbiologically confirmed to be free of VRE contamination. After each session, the patient, environment, and participating HCW were tested for VRE contamination.Fourteen cVRE patients participated in 49 mock outpatient consultation sessions and radiology sessions or 26 actual hemodialysis sessions, and 7 pVRE patients participated in 28 outpatient consultation sessions. Sessions with cVRE patients had higher rates of contamination of the environment (chair cultures were positive for VRE in 36% of outpatient consultation sessions, 58% of hemodialysis sessions; couch cultures were positive in 48% of outpatient consultation sessions, 42% of radiology sessions, and 45% of hemodialysis sessions), contamination of HCW gowns (gown cultures were positive in 20% of outpatient consultation sessions, 4% of radiology sessions, and 30% of hemodialysis sessions), and contamination of patients' own hands (hand cultures were positive in 36% of outpatient consultation sessions, 25% of radiology sessions, and 54% of hemodialysis sessions). Overall, contamination rates associated with pVRE patients attendance at outpatient consultations were 12% of those noted for cVRE patients (odds ratio, 0.10; 95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.42; P = .001).Given the nature of the contamination risk posed by fecally continent cVRE patients undergoing outpatient procedures, infection control measures should focus on effective HCW and patient hand hygiene and chair and couch cleaning, to minimize transmission of VRE.
URI: https://ahro.austin.org.au/austinjspui/handle/1/10116
DOI: 10.1086/503174
ORCID: 
Journal: Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16532417
Type: Journal Article
Subjects: Ambulatory Care
Enterococcus.drug effects.isolation & purification
Environmental Microbiology
Equipment and Supplies, Hospital.microbiology
Feces.microbiology
Hospital Units
Humans
Personnel, Hospital
Referral and Consultation
Renal Dialysis
Vancomycin Resistance
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