Who’s at the door? – surface contamination of door frames in a single-bedded in-patient adult cystic fibrosis (CF) unit

The Gram-negative bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, is a major respiratory pathogen in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), with an associated increase in morbidity and mortality. Consequently, infection prevention and control (IPC) plays an important role within health care in order to minimize the risk of cross-infection of this organism amongst patients and the hospital environment. It was the aim of this study to examine bacterial contamination of the health estate of CF in-patients’ single-bedded rooms and related environments (n=40). Twelve bacterial genera were identified, six being Gram-positive (Brevibacterium, Dermacoccus, Micrococcus, Rothia, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus), and six being Gram-negative (Acinetobacter, Citrobacter, Klebsiella, Moraxella, Pantoea and Pseudoxanthomonas). None of the organisms identified were considered of particular clinical significance to CF patients. The CF lung and associated sputa may be important reservoirs of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with potential for spill-over into the health care estate. In the aftermath of the Pseudomonas neonatal outbreak at Altnagelvin and the Royal Jubilee Maternity Hospitals, where there was heightened IPC awareness regarding the presence of this bacterium, it is encouraging to note its absence from the CF-health care estate examined.