Hospital door handles often harbor MRSA, study shows

Findings from a recent study in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control reinforce the need for the thorough cleaning of hospital door handles.

Advertisement

Researchers swabbed 120 door handles, stair railings and other high-touch areas in three hospitals in Ghana. A total of 47 of the swabs (39 percent) were positive for S. aureus, and eight of them were methicillin-resistant S. aureus. One of those MRSA isolates was resistant to eight types of antibiotics, and all of them were resistant to at least four antibiotics.

“The high multi-drug resistance of MRSA in hospital environments in Ghana reinforces the need for the effective and routine cleaning of door handles in hospitals,” the study concludes. “Further investigation is required to understand whether S. aureus from door handles could be the possible causes of nosocomial diseases in the hospitals.”

More articles on MRSA:
Pediatric patients with MRSA infections face high complications rates, but low death rates
Hybrid immune cells created to target MRSA
MRSA outbreak among infants at UC Irvine hospital undisclosed for months: 9 things to know

Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit

Advertisement

Next Up in Clinical Leadership & Infection Control

Advertisement

Comments are closed.