Contamination of tourniquets for peripheral intravenous puncture/ Contaminação de torniquetes para punção intravenosa periférica

• Published in: Acta paulista de enfermagem 2015-09, Vol.28 (5), p.426
• Main Authors: Batista, Késia Cristina de Oliveira, Tipple, Anaclara Ferreira Veiga, Leão-Vasconcelos, Lara Stefânia Netto de Oliveira, Ribeiro, Evandro Leão, do Prado, Marinésia Aparecida
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0103-2100; 1982-0194

This paper aims to identify the presence of contamination on tourniquets for peripheral intravenous puncture and to characterize the profile of the Staphylococcus spp. and the isolated yeasts. This is a cross-sectional study in which 18 tourniquets for peripheral intravenous puncture in use at a hospital were analyzed. The tourniquets were immersed in BHI broth for 24h and cultivated in selective media for isolation and identification of Staphylococcus spp. and yeasts. The disk-diffusion method was employed to analyze the susceptibility profile of the Staphylococcus spp. to the antimicrobial agents. The growth of some microorganism was identified on 13 (72.2%) tourniquets: 11 (52.4%) coagulasenegative Staphylococcus, two (9.5%) Staphylococcus aureus, four (19%) Rodothorula mucilaginosa, three (14.3%) Candida albicans. 61.5% of the Staphylococcus spp. were oxacillin-resistant. The team professionals did not mention protocols for cleaning, disinfection or controlled replacement of these materials at the institution. The contamination of tourniquets by pathogenic microorganisms was identified, with a resistance profile to the antibiotics that are frequently used in hospitals.