1248 infection control & hospital epidemiology october 2017, vol. 38, no. 10


figure. 1. Detection of a DNA marker in patient rooms, common work areas for healthcare personnel, and on portable equipment in the surgical (A) and medical (B) intensive care units. The DNA marker was inoculated onto a selected item of portable equipment (Doppler ultrasound in the surgical intensive care unit and electrocardiogram in the medical intensive care unit on day 0. *, no DNA marker was detected from any site on day 6 and there was evidence of extensive cleaning throughout the medical intensive care unit.


areas (ie, nursing station, physician work areas), and portable equipment (ie, medication carts and bladder scanners in both units and electrocardiogram machines in the SICU). The overall percentage of sites positive for DNA was similar for each unit (SICU: 14 of 100, 14%; MICU: 11 of 128, 9%). On days 1 and 2, there was no evidence that the inoculated


portable equipment had been cleaned based on the presence of fluorescent marker on the inoculated devices; on day 6, fluorescent marker was detected on the Doppler ultrasound


machines in the SICU but not on the electrocardiogram machines in the MICU. All negative control swabs were negative for the DNA marker.


In the MICU, no DNA marker was detected on day 6 after inoculation. Evidence of extensive cleaning throughout the MICU included the presence of residual bleach residue on numerous surfaces and the removal of the fluorescent marker from the electrocardiogram machines.


discussion


We found that a DNA marker inoculated onto shared portable equipment in an SICU andMICUdisseminatedwidely to surfaces in patient rooms and common work areas and to other types of portable equipment. It is likely that the hands of personnel


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