Re: How to Cough and Sneeze Without Infecting Other People
(I stand corrected about my statement regarding the value of cotton clothing to "sneeze/cough" into)
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Bacteria bound to cloth
Cloth as a transmitter of infectious agents
American Journal of Infection Control
February 2004
Protecting patients from health care-associated infections is a multifaceted process rooted in the concept that these infections may be caused by pathogens from other patients or hospital personnel. Although health care workers' hands are the primary mechanism of transmission, their
clothing also easily can become contaminated and serve as a source of infection transmission. The purpose of
this study was to analyze the bacteria-binding properties of different cloth materials. (1)
Cloth fibers (ie, cotton, nylon, polyester, acrylic, wool) were incubated with bacterial suspensions of standard and clinically isolated strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in silicone-coated tubes. Colony-forming units (CFUs) were determined, and the binding ratios were calculated. Statistical methods, including means and standard deviations, were used to analyze the data and compare observed differences.
Findings.
Staphylococcus aureus strains bound to acrylic, polyester, and wool fibers at very high levels (ie, on average, 87.6%, 96.2%, and 63.2%, respectively).
Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains also bound to acrylic, polyester, and wool at high levels (ie, on average, 95.4%, 99.9%, and 84.7%, respectively).
Staphylococcus aureus bound to cotton and nylon fibers at very low levels (ie, 2% and 0.9%, respectively), and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains bound to cotton and nylon fibers at 15% and 8%, respectively.
Clinical implications. The results of this study suggest that
polyester, acrylic, and wool clothing can be good carriers of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, two major pathogens commonly involved in health care-associated infections. Perioperative nurses and managers should consider these findings when evaluating scrubs or warm-up jackets to be used in perioperative setting.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FSL/is_2_80/ai_n6159731/
