Incidence and risk factors for medical adhesive-related skin injury in catheters of critically ill patients: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The skin in contact with the adhesives used to secure catheters is vulnerable to medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI). The incidence of these injuries and the risks associated with their development have not been accurately estimated previously in critically ill patients. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and risk factors for MARSI in catheters of critically ill patients. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted in adult intensive care units of two Brazilian university hospitals. A total of 150 patients (439 catheters) were included. The skin exposed to the catheter fixation adhesives (central venous, nasogastric, nasoenteral, and indwelling urinary) was examined daily by four trained researchers. The patients' sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from their electronic medical records. The association between independent variables and MARSI was investigated by bivariate statistics, followed by a multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The MARSI incidence was 42% (86.5 MARSIs per 1000 patient-days). Advanced age, prolonged hospital stay, dry skin, repetitive adhesive removal, low Braden Scale score, and hypoalbuminemia were associated with MARSI (p < .05). According to the multivariate logistic regression, dry skin increased the chance of MARSI by 5.2 times (odds ratio: 5.2; 95% confidence interval: 2.4-11.1), while the Braden Scale score was a protective factor, showing 30% less chance of MARSI for each added score (odds ratio: 0.7; 95% confidence interval: 0.6-0.9). A higher incidence of MARSI was observed in nasoenteral catheters and in those fixed with adhesive using natural rubber. The MARSI types were predominantly mechanical (70.3%): skin stripping (41.3%), skin tear (26.1%), and tension injury or blister (2.9%). CONCLUSIONS: MARSI is a common event in adult intensive care units, and most risk factors are modifiable. Preventive actions are potentially capable of reducing incidence, optimising financial resources, and improving clinical results.

Effectiveness of Surface Cleaning and Disinfection in a Brazilian Healthcare Facility.

BACKGROUND: Failures in the processes of cleaning and disinfecting health service surfaces may result in the spread and transfer of pathogens that are often associated with healthcare-related infections and outbreaks. AIMS: To assess the effectiveness of environmental surface cleaning and disinfection in a hospital clinic. METHOD: The study was conducted in a nursing ward with 45 beds. A total of 80 samples from five high-touch surfaces were evaluated before and after cleaning and disinfection, using the following methods: visual inspection, adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, aerobic colony count, Staphylococcus aureus colony count, and evaluation of resistance to methicillin. The data analysis used nonparametric comparative and correlative tests to observe any differences in the pre- and post- cleaning and disinfection results for the surfaces assessed. RESULTS: Effective cleaning and disinfection had a significant effect on only two surfaces when measured for the presence of adenosine triphosphate, the inner bathroom door handle (p=0.007) and the toilet bowl (p=0.01). When evaluated for Staphylococcus aureus colony count, the toilet flush handle also demonstrated a significant effect (p=0.04). CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection of the surfaces tested was not satisfactory. An educational intervention is recommended for the cleaning and disinfection staff and the nursing team at the healthcare facility. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The data in the study revealed that daily hospital cleaning and disinfection in the sampled sites are not sufficient in medical and surgical wards. Hospital cleanliness must be reevaluated from the point of view of materials, such as an adequate supply of clean cloths, in addition to establishing more precise cleanliness protocols and accurate monitoring systems.

Surface cleaning effectiveness in a walk-in emergency care unit: Influence of a multifaceted intervention.

BACKGROUND: Cleaning of surfaces is essential in reducing environmental bioburdens and health care-associated infection in emergency units. However, there are few or no studies investigating cleaning surfaces in these scenarios. Our goal was to determine the influence of a multifaceted intervention on the effectiveness of routine cleaning of surfaces in a walk-in emergency care unit. METHODS: This prospective, before-and-after interventional study was conducted in 4 phases: phase I (situational diagnosis), phase II (implementation of interventions-feedback on results, standardization of cleaning procedures, and training of nursing staff), phase III (determination of the immediate influence of interventions), and phase IV (determination of the late influence of interventions). The surfaces were sampled before and after cleaning by visual inspection, adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, and microbiologic culture. RESULTS: We sampled 240 surfaces from 4 rooms. When evaluated by visual inspection and adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence, there was a progressive reduction of surfaces found to be inadequate in phases I-IV (P < .001), as well as in culture phases I-III. However, phase IV showed higher percentages of failure by culture than phase I (P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: The interventions improved the effectiveness of cleaning. However, this effect was not maintained after 2 months.