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Sphygmomanometer cuffs: a potential source of infection!
Angiology. 2015 Feb;66(2):118-21
Authors: Zargaran D, Hardwick S, Adel R, Hill G, Stubbins D, Salmasi AM
Abstract
We evaluated the potential pathogenic hazard of sphygmomanometer blood pressure cuffs (BPCs) in a hospital setting. Prospectively, the presence of bacterial organisms on 120 BPCs in 14 medical wards and outpatient clinics in a district general hospital in London was assessed. Swabs taken from the inner aspect of the cuffs were cultured using standard microbiological techniques. Bacterial organisms were found in 85% (102) of the 120 BPCs assessed. The highest rates of contamination were found in the outpatients department (90%). There were differences in the most common bacterial species isolated between the samples obtained from the outpatient clinics and the wards, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and diphtheroids being the most prevalent species in the wards and outpatient clinics, respectively. These findings highlight the necessity to eliminate this potential risk of infection.
PMID: 24569512 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]