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Bedside Resuscitation Bags: A Source of Bacterial Contamination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Anne C. Thompson ,
Barbara J. Wilder  and
David J. Powner
Anne C. Thompson
Affiliation:
Adult Intensive Care Unit andInfection Control Department Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana
Barbara J. Wilder
Affiliation:
Adult Intensive Care Unit andInfection Control Department Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana
David J. Powner*
Affiliation:
Adult Intensive Care Unit andInfection Control Department Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana
*
Methodist Hospital, 1604 North Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202
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Abstract

Resuscitation bags at the bedside of 12 intubated ICU patients with known culture positive sputum were evaluated as possible reservoirs of pathogenic bacteria. As oxygen was constantly flowing into the bags, sampling of gas continuously emitted from the exhalation valve assembly was sampled to detect if a bacteria-laden aerosol was being created. Positive cultures were obtained from 75% of the valves and 25% of the aerosol samples. In those patients with gram-negative bacteria in their sputum, 71% of the valves and 29% of the gas samples were positive for the same organisms. Various methods to control this possible contributing factor to nosocomial infection in the ICU are discussed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 6 , Issue 6 , June 1985 , pp. 231 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1985

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