Sinks located next to the hospital toilets could be reservoirs of carbapenemase from Klebsiella

Sinks located next to patients' toilets in hospital rooms can be reservoirs Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC), increasing the risk of dangerous transmission of germs, according to new research published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) the Journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

The study found a high prevalence of CPK positivity in sink drains next to the toilet. Of the samples tested, 87.0% of patient sinks next to toilets tested positive for CPK – quite comparable to the 21.7% of sink drains located closer to the door. Entrance to the room.

Klebsiella is a type of bacterium that can cause a number of healthcare-badociated infections, such as pneumonia, blood infections, wounds or surgical site infections. More and more, Klebsiella the bacteria have developed antimicrobial resistance, more recently to the clbad of antibiotics called carbapenems.

In four of the five rooms in which the sink of the entrance door was positive, the sink near the toilet was also positive, suggesting a potential source of cross-contamination in the same room.

Researchers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, conducted the study in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) of a 600-bed Wisconsin hospital. MICU has had no documented interaction with KPC producing organizations in the last year.

"This study, if validated, could have major implications for infection control," agree the study's authors, Blake Buchan, PhD, and Silvia Munoz-Price, MD, PhD. "If the sinks next to the toilets are actually a reservoir for KPC, additional interventions, such as modified hand hygiene practices and disinfection protocols for sinks, may be necessary to curb the risk. transmission among health care providers and patients. "

This is the first study to directly examine the relevance of the closeness of the sink compared to toilets in patients' rooms. The researchers point out that if it is unclear how the contamination occurs, it is likely that biofilms growing in pipes shared between toilets and sinks or that flushes generate contaminated drops that reach the drains. of the sink.

"The results of this study demonstrate the importance of remaining alert to potential areas of cross-contamination," said APIC President for 2019, Karen Hoffmann, RN, MS, CIC, FSHEA, FAPIC. "Maintaining a strong understanding of environmental risks is essential to protect patient safety, which is another example of how germs can hide in the most unexpected places."