Reduction of nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage in health care professionals by treatment with a nonantibiotic, alcohol-based nasal antiseptic

• Published in: American journal of infection control 2014-08, Vol.42 (8), p.841-846
• Main Authors: Steed, Lisa L., PhD, Costello, Justin, BA, Lohia, Shivangi, MD, Jones, Taylor, BS, Spannhake, Ernst W., PhD, Nguyen, Shaun, MD, MA, CPI
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Alcohols - therapeutic use; Anti-Infective Agents, Local - therapeutic use; Antibiotics; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antiseptics; Bacterial burden; Bacterial diseases; Biological and medical sciences; Carrier State - drug therapy; Carrier State - epidemiology; Colony Count, Microbial; Double-Blind Method; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Ethanol; Female; General aspects; Health Personnel; Hospitals, Urban; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infection Control; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical personnel; Medical sciences; Medical treatment; Middle Aged; Nasal colonization; Nasal Mucosa - microbiology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Placebos - administration & dosage; Staphylococcal Infections - drug therapy; Staphylococcal Infections - epidemiology; Staphylococcal infections, streptococcal infections, pneumococcal infections; Staphylococcus aureus - drug effects; Staphylococcus aureus - isolation & purification; Staphylococcus infections; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0196-6553; 1527-3296
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2014.04.008

Background Antibiotics used to reduce nasal colonization by Staphylococcus aureus in patients before admission are inappropriate for carriage reduction on a regular basis within a hospital community. Effective nonantibiotic alternatives for daily use in the nares will allow reduction of this bacterial source to be addressed. Methods Our study tested the effectiveness of a nonantibiotic, alcohol-based antiseptic in reducing nasal bacterial carriage in health care professionals (HCPs) at an urban hospital center. HCPs testing positive for vestibular S aureus colonization were treated 3 times during the day with topical antiseptic or control preparations. Nasal S aureus and total bacterial colonization levels were determined before and at the end of a 10-hour workday. Results Seventy-eight of 387 HCPs screened (20.2%) tested positive for S aureus infection. Of 39 subjects who tested positive for S aureus infection who completed the study, 20 received antiseptic and 19 received placebo treatment. Antiseptic treatment reduced S aureus colony forming units from baseline by 99% (median) and 82% (mean) ( P