Reusable venesection tourniquets: a potential source of hospital transmission of multiresistant organisms.

Link to article at PubMed

Reusable venesection tourniquets: a potential source of hospital transmission of multiresistant organisms.

Med J Aust. 2011 Sep 5;195(5):276-9

Authors: Pinto AN, Phan T, Sala G, Cheong EY, Siarakas S, Gottlieb T

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of multiresistant organism (MRO) colonisation of reusable venesection tourniquets.
DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective study in a tertiary hospital to collect and analyse reusable venesection tourniquets for the presence of MROs - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and extended-spectrum ?-lactamase and metallo-?-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae - using a sensitive enrichment method. Tourniquets were collected and tested during a 10-week period between September and November 2010.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Prevalence of MRO colonisation of tourniquets.
RESULTS: The overall colonisation rate of 100 tourniquets randomly collected from general wards, ambulatory care areas and critical care areas was 78%. MROs were isolated from 25 tourniquets collected from a variety of hospital locations, including general wards, the intensive care unit, burns unit and anaesthetic bay. MRSA was isolated from 14 tourniquets and VRE from 19; both MRSA and VRE were isolated from nine tourniquets. There were no microorganisms isolated from 22 tourniquets.
CONCLUSION: Reusable tourniquets can be colonised with MROs and may be a potential source of transmission of MROs to hospitalised patients.

PMID: 21895597 [PubMed - in process]

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