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Blood Pressure Cuff as a Potential Vector of Pathogenic Microorganisms: A Prospective Study in a Teaching Hospital
C. de Gialluly, MD; V. Morange, MD; E. de Gialluly, MD; J. Loulergue, MD;
N. van der Mee, PhD; R. Quentin, MD, PhD
Objective:
To investigate the potential role of blood pressure (BP) cuffs in the spread of bacterial infections in hospitals
A comprehensive, prospective study quantitatively and qualitatively evaluating the bacterial contamination on BP cuffs of 203
sphygmomanometers in use in 18 hospital units from January through March 2003. setting. A university hospital with surgical, medical, and pediatric units.
results. A level of contamination reaching 100 or more colony-forming units per 25 cm2 was observed on 92 (45%) of inner sides
and 46 (23%) of outer sides of 203 cuffs. The highest rates of contamination occurred on the inner side of BP cuffs kept in intensive care units (ICUs) (20 [83%] of 24) or on nurses’ trolleys (27 [77%] of 35). None of the 18 BP cuffs presumed to be clean (ie, those that had not been used since the last decontamination procedure) had a high level of contamination.
Potentially pathogenic microorganisms were isolated from 27 (13%) of the 203 BP cuffs: 20 of these microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus, including 9 methicillin-resistant strains.
The highest rates of contamination with potentially pathogenic microorganisms were observed on cuffs used in ICUs and those kept on
nurses’ trolleys. For 4 patients with a personal sphygmomanometer, a genetic link was found between the strains isolated from the BP
cuffs and the strains isolated from the patients.
Conclusions:
The results of this survey highlight the importance of recognizing BP cuffs as potential vectors of pathogenic bacteria
among patients and as a source of reinfection when dedicated to a single patient, emphasizing the urgent need for validated procedures
for their use and maintenance.
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Article by , Medline.
