ICUs not as clean as they appear

A recent study published in The American Journal of Infection Control found that while most areas of ICU are routinely cleaned, clinical workstations are often overlooked.  During their sampling, researchers found 13 different multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) within a busy ICU. Nine of the MDROs found were on clinical workstation objects such as chairs, computer mice, clipboards, keys and telephones.
 “In this pilot study, we found that many of the high touch objects from which MDROs were recovered were not items included in cleaning protocols,” state the study authors.
The researchers recommend that hospitals review the hygiene standards of ICU clinical workspaces to limit the spread of infection. They also recommend that ICUs use adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing of surfaces to search for MDROs. During the study it was found that ATP testing was seven times more effective at finding the presence of MDROs than microbial swabbing.