X-Ray Equipment Loaded With Bacteria
Israeli researchers reported that portable X-ray equipment is implicated in the spreading of drug-resistant bacteria in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Dr. Philip D. Levin of Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, along with colleagues, watched technicians perform 173 chest X-rays.
They said that adequate infection control was practiced during 2 of these procedures, and drug-resistance bacteria were discovered on the surfaces of 12 of 30 X-ray machines.
After the researchers made their observations they instituted an educational intervention geared towards technicians. Once this was done the researchers evaluated the impact of the teaching and it proved to be effective.
Adequate infection control was observed in 48 of 113 subsequent X-rays and none of the 29 machine samples showed drug-resistant bacteria.
However, the improvement did not last long.
Five months later the researchers conducted a follow-up study that showed only 12 of 120 X-rays were conducted with adequate infection control, and 7 of 14 surface samples yielded resistant bacteria.
"To date," Levin told Reuters Health, "no one had looked at the X-ray technicians and their equipment and seen them as a potential link in the network of cross contamination of ICU patients with highly antibiotic resistant bacteria."
"Based on the results of this study," Levin said, "our hospital has instituted a wide-ranging disinfection protocol for all X ray equipment.
—
On the Net: