چکیده (انگلیسی):

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can contaminate environmental surfacesthat are frequently touched by the hands of patients with MRSA colonization/infection.There have been many studies in which the presence or absence of MRSA contaminationwas determined but no studies in which MRSA contamination levels were also evaluatedin detail. We evaluated MRSA contamination of environmental surfaces (overbed tables,bed side rails, and curtains) in the rooms of inpatients from whom MRSA was isolated viaclinical specimens. We examined the curtains within 7–14 days after they had been newlyhung. The environmental surfaces were wiped using gauze (molded gauze for wiping ofsurface bacteria; 100% cotton, 4 cm × 8 cm) moistened with sterile physiological saline. TheMRSA contamination rate and mean counts (range) were 25.0% (6/24 samples) and 30.6(0–255) colony-forming units (cfu)/100 cm2, respectively, for the overbed tables and 31.6%(6/19 samples) and 159.5 (0–1620) cfu/100 cm2, respectively, for the bed side rails. No MRSAwas detected in 24 curtain samples. The rate of MRSA contamination of environmentalsurfaces was high for the overbed tables and bed side rails but low for the curtains. Therefore,at least until the 14th day of use, frequent disinfection of curtains may be not necessary.