Impact of removing sinks from an intensive care unit on isolations by gram-negative non-fermenting bacilli in patients with invasive mechanical ventilation. / Impacto de la retirada de los lavabos en una unidad de cuidados intensivos sobre los aislamientos por bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores en pacientes con ventilación mecánica invasiva.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Contamination of sinks, even due to their underuse, is associated with the transmission of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) to patients in Augmented Care Units. After previous monitoring with environmental and patient samples, we now explore the impact of removing sinks from ICU cubicles on incidental isolations related to health care in bronchoaspirate samples of patients with invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental study, before-and-after, pre-intervention annuities April 2014-2016 and post-intervention April 2016-2017. Incidence densities per 1,000 days of IMV were studied, comparing by the exact method based on the binomial distribution and estimating the incidence density ratio. RESULTS: The incidence densities per 1,000 days of IMV of isolations by NFGNB in bronchoaspirate samples of the pre and post-intervention periods were 11.28 and 1.9, respectively. This implies a post-intervention incidence density 5.90 times lower than before (95% CI: 1.49-51.05, P=.003). CONCLUSIONS: Despite of the limitations of the design, the removal of sinks showed a reduction of the isolations.

Under-utilization of taps in intensive care unit as a cause of reservoirs of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. / La infrautilización de grifos en una unidad de cuidados intensivos como causa de reservorios de bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores.

INTRODUCTION: The under-utilisation of taps is associated with the generation of reservoirs of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli with the ability to disseminate. We describe the detection and approach of the problem in an ICU. METHODS: Observational descriptive study in an ICU with individual cubicles with their own sink. We collected clinical samples from patients and environmental samples from tap aerators and reviewed the unit's hygiene measures. RESULTS: We detected four cases due to Chryseobacterium indologenes, one to Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and another to Pseudomonas aeruginosa; they were identified both in clinical and the environmental samples. The healthcare professionals reported that almost every hand hygiene opportunity was performed with a hydroalcoholic solution. After considered the daily flushing of water outlets as inefficient, it was decided to remove them. CONCLUSIONS: National recommendations were insufficient for preventing, detecting and controlling tap contamination in units with a high risk of infection. The management of taps in these units needs to be improved.