Detecting Potential Pathogens on Hospital Surfaces: An Assessment of Carpet Tile Flooring in the Hospital Patient Environment

The type of flooring in hospitals has long been scrutinized in terms of its potential role in nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. This study was conducted for the purpose of detecting potential pathogens on tiled carpets, nontiled carpets, and vinyl flooring, all used in a Midwestern communit...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Indoor + built environment 2010-04, Vol.19 (2), p.239-249
Main Authors: Harris, Debra D., Pacheco, Adriana, Lindner, Angela S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The type of flooring in hospitals has long been scrutinized in terms of its potential role in nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. This study was conducted for the purpose of detecting potential pathogens on tiled carpets, nontiled carpets, and vinyl flooring, all used in a Midwestern community hospital. A swab sampling protocol conducted over a 5-month period, coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis-16S rDNA molecular analysis, allowed for greater than 93% of the major components in the flooring samples to be identified at the genus and species level. This study evaluates the impact of floor finish materials as potential sources of microbial-related hospital-acquired infections.
ISSN:1420-326X
1423-0070
DOI:10.1177/1420326X09347050