scholarly journals 782. A Comparison of Four Different Sampling Methods Used to Recover Contamination from Environmental Surfaces

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S488-S488
Author(s):  
Sharon Thompson ◽  
William Rutala ◽  
Emily Sickbert-Bennett ◽  
Lauren DiBiase ◽  
Deverick J Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Agar Plate ◽  
Test Surface ◽  
Environmental Surfaces ◽  
Detection And Counting ◽  
Outbreak Investigations ◽  
International Consultant ◽  
Collection Methods ◽  
Manual Extraction

Abstract Background We hypothesized that sampling tools with the largest surface area would be the most efficient at recovering bacteria. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated four different sampling methods to see which was most effective at recovering bacteria from common environmental surfaces. Methods At UNC Medical Center, a 951 bed academic facility, we tested four collection methods: swabs, RODAC (replicate organism detection and counting) plates, Sponge Sticks with manual extraction and Sponge Sticks using extraction with the Seward Stomacher. Laminate and stainless steel surfaces (100 cm²) were used for testing. Known quantities of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) were applied across the test surfaces, then allowed to dry prior to sampling. Swab samples were collected by rubbing a moistened swab over the test surface, followed by a dry swab. Both swab tips were broken into a tube of saline and mixed. An aliquot of each was inoculated to agar plates. Each RODAC agar plate was pressed onto a test surface. Sponge Stick samples were collected by rubbing a pre-moistened sponge over the test surface. Each sponge head was ejected into a bag containing saline. For manual agitation, each bag was kneaded by hand for 1 minute. For Stomacher method, bags were processed for 1 minute. The contents of each bag were poured into tubes, then centrifuged. The supernatant was removed from each tube. An aliquot of each was inoculated to agar plates. Plates were incubated at 35°C, then colonies were counted for each plate. Results Comparative recovery rates across surfaces, organism types and sampling methods are shown in the table. Conclusion Organism type, not sampling method, appeared to the most important factor in bacterial recovery. Recovery of SA was significantly higher than KP, likely because it was able to better withstand manipulation and the physical stress of drying on test surfaces. The sampling tool appeared to have the second largest impact. RODAC yielded the highest recovery, followed by swabs, then sponges. Knowing the variable recovery based on method, surface and organism is important for meaningful interpretation of environmental surveillance conducted during outbreak investigations or quality assurance monitoring. Disclosures William Rutala, MS, MPH, PhD, PDI (Professional Disposibles International) (Consultant) David J. Weber, MD, MPH, PDI (Consultant)

scholarly journals Environmental Contact and Self-contact Patterns of Healthcare Workers: Implications for Infection Prevention and Control

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. S178-S184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linh T Phan ◽  
Dayana Maita ◽  
Donna C Mortiz ◽  
Susan C Bleasdale ◽  
Rachael M Jones
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Respiratory Therapists ◽  
Contact Patterns ◽  
Environmental Surfaces ◽  
Viral Respiratory Infections

Abstract Background Respiratory viruses on fomites can be transferred to sites susceptible to infection via contact by hands or other fomites. Methods Care for hospitalized patients with viral respiratory infections was observed in the patient room for 3-hour periods at an acute care academic medical center for over a 2 year period. One trained observer recorded the healthcare activities performed, contacts with fomites, and self-contacts made by healthcare workers (HCWs), while another observer recorded fomite contacts of patients during the encounter using predefined checklists. Results The surface contacted by HCWs during the majority of visits was the patient (90%). Environmental surfaces contacted by HCWs frequently during healthcare activities included the tray table (48%), bed surface (41%), bed rail (41%), computer station (37%), and intravenous pole (32%). HCWs touched their own torso and mask in 32% and 29% of the visits, respectively. HCWs’ self-contacts differed significantly among HCW job roles, with providers and respiratory therapists contacting themselves significantly more times than nurses and nurse technicians (P < .05). When HCWs performed only 1 care activity, there were significant differences in the number of patient contacts and self-contacts that HCWs made during performance of multiple care activities (P < .05). Conclusions HCWs regularly contact environmental surfaces, patients, and themselves while providing care to patients with infectious diseases, varying among care activities and HCW job roles. These contacts may facilitate the transmission of infection to HCWs and susceptible patients.

scholarly journals Impact of Bordetella pertussis Exposures on a Massachusetts Tertiary Care Medical System

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 708-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iva Zivna ◽  
Diana Bergin ◽  
Joanne Casavant ◽  
Sally Fontecchio ◽  
Susan Nelson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bordetella Pertussis ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Medical System ◽  
Secondary Case ◽  
Tertiary Care Medical Center ◽  
Outbreak Investigations ◽  
The Impact

Objective.To assess the impact of outbreaks of Bordetella pertussis infection on a tertiary care medical system.Design.Retrospective study.Setting.Academic tertiary care medical center and affiliated ambulatory care settings.Subjects.All patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) who were in close contact with patients with laboratory-confirmed cases of B. pertussis infection from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004.Intervention.Direct and indirect medical center costs were determined, including low and high estimates of time expended in the evaluation and management of exposed patients and HCWs during outbreak investigations of laboratory-confirmed cases of B. pertussis infection.Results.During this period, 20 primary and 3 secondary laboratory-confirmed cases of B. pertussis infection occurred, with 2 primary pertussis cases and 1 secondary case occurring in HCWs. Outbreak investigations prompted screening of 353 medical center employees. Probable or definitive exposure was identified for 296 HCWs, and 287 subsequently received treatment or prophylaxis for B. pertussis infection. Direct medical center costs for treatment and prophylaxis were $13,416 and costs for personnel time were $19,500-$31,190. Indirect medical center costs for time lost from work were $51,300-$52,300. The total cost of these investigations was estimated to be $85,066-$98,456.Conclusions.Frequent B. pertussis exposures had a major impact on our facility. Given the impact of exposures on healthcare institutions, routine vaccination for HCWs may be beneficial.

scholarly journals Pengaruh Faktor Lingkungan Kerja, Kompensasi dan Kemampuan Kerja Terhadap Kinerja Pegawai Pada Kelurahan Baju Bodoa Kecamatan Maros Baru Kabupaten Maros

Tata Kelola ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-37
Author(s):  
Rudi Rudi ◽  
Abdul Rahman Mus ◽  
Serlin Serang
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Probability Sampling ◽  
Data Collection Methods ◽  
The Village ◽  
Collection Methods

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh faktor Lingkungan Kerja, Kompensasi dan Kemampuan Kerja secara simultan terhadap kinerja pegawai dan mengetahui faktor yang paling dominan terhadap kinerja pegawai di Kelurahan Baju Bodoa Kecamatan Maros Baru Kabupaten Maros. Peneltian ini menggunakan metode sampel dan metode pengumpulan data, data diperoleh dengan cara observasi, wawancara, kuesioner dan dokumentasi, sampel dalam penelitian ini berdasarkan pada metode Non Probability Sampling. Teknik Non Probability Sampling yang dipilih yaitu dengan Sampling Jenuh (sensus) yaitu metode penarikan sampel bila semua anggota populasi dijadikan sampel. Hasil dari pengujian menunjukkan bahwa secara simultan ketiga variabel berpengaruh signifikan terhadap Kinerja Pegawai sedangkan variabel yang paling dominan yaitu Faktor Kemampuan Kerja. This research aims to determine the effect of working environment, compensation and ability to simultaneously work on employees ' performance and to know the most dominant factor in the performance of employees in the village of the new Maros District Bodoa District, Maros. This study uses sample methods and data collection methods, data obtained by observation, interviews, questionnaires and documentation, samples in this study are based on NonProbability Sampling methods. NonProbability Sampling technique is selected with saturated Sampling (census) i.e. the method of sample withdrawal when all population members are made samples. The results of the test show that simultaneously the three variables have significant effect on the employee's performance while the most dominant variable is the job capability factor

scholarly journals Comparison of indoor air sampling and dust collection methods for fungal exposure assessment using quantitative PCR

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 1312-1319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Cox ◽  
Reshmi Indugula ◽  
Stephen Vesper ◽  
Zheng Zhu ◽  
Roman Jandarov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exposure Assessment ◽  
Quantitative Pcr ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Air Sampling ◽  
Fungal Contamination ◽  
Dust Collection ◽  
Fungal Exposure ◽  
The Many ◽  
Collection Methods

Evaluating fungal contamination indoors is complicated because of the many different sampling methods utilized.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Sampling Methods for Detection of Pathogens from Steel Surfaces; Contact Plates, Foam Swabs, and Flocked Swabs

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s230-s230
Author(s):  
Rolieria West ◽  
Laura Rose ◽  
Judith Noble-Wang
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Steel Surface ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Agar Plate ◽  
Stainless Steel Surface ◽  
Plate Method ◽  
Surface Areas ◽  
Contact Plate ◽  
Composite Contact ◽  
Single Contact

Background: Contaminated healthcare surfaces can serve as reservoirs for the transmission of pathogens. Sensitive sampling methods are needed to investigate sources of pathogens for implementing effective disinfection strategies and thereby preventing environmental transmission. Conventional approaches employ swabs to sample environmental surfaces. Contact plates represent an alternative approach for sampling healthcare surfaces that does not require lab processing, though little is known about their performance. A contact plate is an agar plate that is overfilled with selective or nonselective media. It can be gently applied to the surface, then simply incubated at a temperature optimal for target organism (s), thus saving time and resources. Methods: In this study, contact plates containing trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood (TSAII), foam swabs, and flocked swabs were evaluated for their ability to recover 4 pathogens that persist on healthcare surfaces. Stainless-steel coupons (4 in2) were inoculated with the following pathogens (102 CFU): Acinetobacter baumannii (AB, strain type 12), carbapenemase-producing KPC+ Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP; ATCC BAA-1705); methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; ATCC 43300); and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE; Van A + 256). The plates were allowed to dry 1 hour. Sampling with CPs was performed in 2 ways; (1) a single contact plate was used to sample 1 stainless-steel surface and (2) a composite was collected by 3 sequential contact-plate samplings of the same stainless-steel surface. The contact plates were then incubated at 351C. Foam and flocked swabs were premoistened with phosphate-buffered saline + 0.02% polysorbate 80 (PBST) and were used to sample the stainless-steel coupons. Swabs were held for 1 hour and processed by sonication and vortexing in 5 mL of PBST, then the eluent was cultured and CFU counted. Mean percentage recoveries (%R) relative to the inoculum were calculated and compared. Results: When the %R for all 4 pathogens were pooled, the composite contact-plate sampling method yielded the highest, (P < .05) (66.0%; SD, 0.22), followed by the single contact plate method (39.7%; SD, 0.12), foam swab (32.9%; SD, 0.18), and flocked swab (20.3%; SD, 0.20). The composite contact plate method yielded the highest %R for VRE (102.1 %; SD, 0.17), and the lowest %R was observed when using flocked swabs to recover KP (6.3%; SD, 0.05). Conclusions: The contact-plate composite method may provide investigators with minimal environmental microbiology capacity an alternative method for environmental sampling and detection of organisms from surface areas (4 in 2) with low bioburden.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

scholarly journals Urine Specimen Collection For Diagnosing a Urinary Tract Infection-Patient Experience and Preference For Urine Specimen Collection: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Collins ◽  
Rajvinder Khasriya ◽  
James Malone-Lee
Keyword(s):  
Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Urinary Tract ◽  
Tract Infection ◽  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Patient Experiences ◽  
Urine Specimen ◽  
Collection Method ◽  
Urine Specimen Collection ◽  
Specimen Collection ◽  
Collection Methods

Abstract Background A urinary tract infection (UTI) is very common and patients frequently present to their General Practitioner and emergency department with symptoms. Diagnosis of the infection is made by examining fresh urine with microscopy, to detect white cells and epithelial cells shed from the bladder or by submitting the urine for microbial culture. Patients are often requested to provide a urine specimen, but very little is known about the patient experiences of carrying out the task or their preference of specimen collection method. The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences and preferences between four different urine specimen collection methods for diagnosing the presence of a UTI.Materials Semi-structured interviews were conducted and explored patient experiences of four different urine specimen collection methods (midstream urine specimen (MSU), catheter specimen (CSU), Peezy MSU™ and Natural void). The interviews consisted of four open-ended questions and all data were collated and organised using NVivo to establish themes that emerged from the data.Results The natural void without technique was repeatedly referred to and was regarded as being the most straightforward of all of the sampling methods. Pain symptoms were described only in the catheter method and not in the MSU, Peezy MSU™ or natural void method. The catheter was regarded as the urine collection method that produced the best specimen for diagnostic testing by the patients’. Conclusion A majority of the participants expressed the desire for straightforward urine sampling methods and preferred the natural void as a standard method in clinical practice.

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 detection and genomic sequencing from hospital surface samples collected at UC Davis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Coil ◽  
Timothy Albertson ◽  
Shefali Banerjee ◽  
Greg Brennan ◽  
A.J. Campbell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
Cytopathic Effects ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Environmental Surfaces

AbstractRationaleThere is little doubt that aerosols play a major role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The significance of the presence and infectivity of this virus on environmental surfaces, especially in a hospital setting, remains less clear.ObjectivesWe aimed to analyze surface swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RNA and infectivity, and to determine their suitability for sequence analysis.MethodsSamples were collected during two waves of COVID-19 at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, in COVID-19 patient serving and staff congregation areas. qRT-PCR positive samples were investigated in Vero cell cultures for cytopathic effects and phylogenetically assessed by whole genome sequencing.Measurements and Main ResultsImproved cleaning and patient management practices between April and August 2020 were associated with a substantial reduction of SARS-CoV-2 qRT-PCR positivity (from 11% to 2%) in hospital surface samples. Even though we recovered near-complete genome sequences in some, none of the positive samples (11 of 224 total) caused cytopathic effects in cultured cells suggesting this nucleic acid was either not associated with intact virions, or they were present in insufficient numbers for infectivity. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 genomes of the positive samples were derived from hospitalized patients. Genomic sequences isolated from qRT-PCR negative samples indicate a superior sensitivity of viral detection by sequencing.ConclusionsThis study confirms the low likelihood that SARS-CoV-2 contamination on hospital surfaces contains infectious virus, disputing the importance of fomites in COVID-19 transmission. Ours is the first report on recovering near-complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences directly from environmental surface swabs.

scholarly journals Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor (µ-CTE) as a new sampling system for VOCs emitted by feces

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ileana Andreea Ratiu ◽  
Radik Mametov ◽  
Tomasz Ligor ◽  
Bogusław Buszewski
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Methods ◽  
Extraction Temperature ◽  
Sample Collection ◽  
Sampling System ◽  
Box Behnken Design ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Current Availability ◽  
Correlation Tests ◽  
Collection Methods

AbstractVOCs (volatile organic compounds) are increasingly wished to be used in diagnosis of diseases. They present strategic advantages, when compared to classical methods used, such as simplicity and current availability of performant non-invasive sample collection methods/systems. However, standardized sampling methods are required in order to achieve reproducible results. In the current study we developed a method to be used for feces sampling using a Micro-Chamber/Thermal Extractor (µ-CTE). Design Expert software (with Box–Behnken design) was used to predict the solutions. Therefore, by using the simulation experimental plan that was further experimentally verified, extraction time of 19.6 min, at extraction temperature of 30.6 °C by using a flow rate of 48.7 mL/min provided the higher response. The developed method was validated by using correlation tests and Network analysis, which both proved the validity of the developed model.

scholarly journals An application to support COVID-19 occupational health and patient tracking at a Veterans Affairs medical center

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1716-1720
Author(s):  
Nathanael R Fillmore ◽  
Danne C Elbers ◽  
Jennifer La ◽  
Theodore C Feldman ◽  
Feng-Chi Sung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Electronic Health Record Data ◽  
Outbreak Investigations ◽  
Electronic Health

Abstract Objective Reducing risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection among healthcare personnel requires a robust occupational health response involving multiple disciplines. We describe a flexible informatics solution to enable such coordination, and we make it available as open-source software. Materials and Methods We developed a stand-alone application that integrates data from several sources, including electronic health record data and data captured outside the electronic health record. Results The application facilitates workflows from different hospital departments, including Occupational Health and Infection Control, and has been used extensively. As of June 2020, 4629 employees and 7768 patients and have been added for tracking by the application, and the application has been accessed over 46 000 times. Discussion Data captured by the application provides both a historical and real-time view into the operational impact of COVID-19 within the hospital, enabling aggregate and patient-level reporting to support identification of new cases, contact tracing, outbreak investigations, and employee workforce management. Conclusions We have developed an open-source application that facilitates communication and workflow across multiple disciplines to manage hospital employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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