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Green Quasi-Science
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A study by Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Pharmacy looked into the ability of antimicrobial-surface wipes to remove, kill and prevent the spread of such infections as MRSA. They found that current protocols utilized by hospital staff have the potential to spread pathogens after only the first use of a wipe, particularly due to the ineffectiveness of wipes to actually kill bacteria.
The team, led by microbiologist Dr. Jean-Yves Maillard is now calling for a ‘one wipe - one application - per surface’ approach to infection control in healthcare environments.
The research involved a surveillance program observing hospital staff using surface wipes to decontaminate surfaces near patients, such as bed rails, and other surfaces commonly touched by staff and patients, such as monitors, tables and key pads. It was found that the wipes were being applied to the same surface several times and used on consecutive surfaces before being discarded.
These actions were then replicated in the lab alongside a three-step system, developed by the research team to test the ability of several commercially available wipes to disinfect surfaces contaminated with strains of Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA and MSSA. The system tested the removal of pathogens, the transmission of them, and the anti-microbial properties of wipes.
The study revealed that although some wipes can remove higher numbers of bacteria from surfaces than others, the wipes tested were unable to kill many of the bacteria removed. As a result, high numbers of bacteria were transferred to other surfaces when the wipes were reused.
Dr. Gareth Williams, microbiologist at the Welsh School of Pharmacy, said: “Claims of effectiveness, such as ‘kills MRSA’, are ubiquitous on the packaging of antimicrobial-containing wipes. Methods currently available to test the performance of these products may be inappropriate since they do not assess the ability of wipes to actually disinfect surfaces. We have developed a simple, rapid, robust and reproducible method which will help identify best practice in the use of the wipes.
“Our surveillance study in its own right has been highly revealing in that it has highlighted the risks associated with the way decontamination products are currently being deployed in Welsh hospitals and the need for routine observation as well as proper training in the use of these wipes in reducing risks of infection to patients.
“On the whole, wipes can be effective in removing, killing and preventing the transfer of pathogens such as MRSA but only if used in the right way. We found that the most effective way is to prevent the risk of MRSA spread in hospital wards is to ensure the wipe is used only once on one surface.”
Dr. Gareth Williams presented the research findings at the American Society of Microbiology’s 108th General Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts on June 3rd, 2008.
For more information contact:
Dr. Gareth Williams
Welsh School of Pharmacy
Cardiff University
T: 07813029269
E: williamsgj3@cardiff.ac.uk
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Comment by Bob Robinson Sr. on November 24th, 2009 at 6:39am
This is a great article. It illustrates how having the "right" tool or product is only one piece of the puzzle in proper cleaning and disinfection. The missing piece is the routine measurement of results by the cleaning staff. By measurement using bacteria colony counts, which are readily available in hospitals, the cleaning staff can develop a procedure that will standardize how far they can clean with one disinfectant wipe. ATP can also be used to test how effective the different wipes are in removing soils and also indicates how much surface one wipe can effectively clean. Measure, measure, measure.
Comment by Allen Rathey on November 23rd, 2009 at 7:32pm
Yes, thanks, this does raise many questions. Among them are: Does it become cost prohibitive to use one wipe per surface to minimize cross-contamination? Are there studies of facilities that have trained workers to use this method, and have they seen a reduction in infections?
Comment by Jim Harris, Sr. on November 23rd, 2009 at 3:00pm
It is clearly evident after reading this abstract that more research needs to be done.