Impact of Plastic-Wrap Properties and Cleaning Intervals on the Disinfection of Elevator Buttons.

Fomite transmission is a possible route by which different pathogens spread within facilities. In hospital settings, elevator buttons are widely observed to be covered with various types of plastic wraps; however, limited information is available concerning the impact of different plastic materials on cleaning. Our study aimed to identify which plastic material is suitable for the coverage of elevator buttons and the optimal intervals for their cleaning. We tested six plastic covers, including polyethylene (PE), polymethylpentene (PMP), polyvinyl chloride (PVD), and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) plastic wraps; a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) keyboard cover; and a polyethylene terephthalate-ethylene vinyl acetate (PET-EVA) laminating film, which are plastic films. The bioburden on the elevator buttons at different time intervals was measured using an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay. Our results show that wraps made of PVDC had superior durability compared with those of PMP, PVC, and PVDC, in addition to the lowest detectable ATP levels among the six tested materials. Regarding different button locations, the highest ATP values were found in door-close buttons followed by door-open, and first-floor buttons after one- and three-hour intervals (p = 0.024 and p < 0.001, respectively). After routine disinfection, the ATP levels of buttons rapidly increased after touching and became more prominent after three hours (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that PVDC plastic wraps have adequate durability and the lowest residual bioburden when applied as covers for elevator buttons. Door-close and -open buttons were the most frequently touched sites, requiring more accurate and precise disinfection; therefore, cleaning intervals of no longer than three hours may be warranted.

Man on Noninvasive Positive Airway Pressure Ventilation With Throat Pain.

Dentures dislodged into throat on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) ventilation can be overlooked and potentially compromise airway patency. An 81-year-old man with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presented with increased shortness of breath and productive cough for 1 week. Inhaled bronchodilators, parenteral steroids, and BiPAP ventilation were administered for acute exacerbation of COPD complicated with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. Fifty minutes after receiving BiPAP ventilation, his respiratory condition improved; however, he started to complain of neck pain. The patient remained intolerant to the device 3 hours later, despite receiving assurance that the discomfort might be caused by air pressure through mask ventilation. His throat did not exhibit any abnormality during visual examination. Neck radiographs were subsequently obtained and demonstrated a denture impacted in the hypopharynx. His neck pain resolved after the removal of the dislodged maxillary denture. Denture dislodgement can occur in mask ventilation and compromise airway patency if stuck in the hypopharynx or respiratory tract. Such adverse events may be overlooked on the coexistence of respiratory and pulmonary diseases. A precisely pharyngolaryngeal inspection and complete imaging studies must be performed to facilitate early identification and further retrieval intervention.

Risk factors for pneumonia among patients with Parkinson's disease: a Taiwan nationwide population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Pneumonia is the leading cause of death in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). However, few studies have been performed to explore the risk factors for pneumonia development in patients with PD. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide population-based cohort study of patients with PD to identify the risk factors for these patients developing pneumonia. Participants with newly diagnosed PD between 2000 and 2009 were enrolled from the 2000-2010 National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. We compared patients with PD with an incidence of hospitalization with pneumonia vs those without, and Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the risk of pneumonia. RESULTS: Of the 2,001 enrolled patients (mean follow-up duration 5.8 years, range: 2.7-14.7 years), 381 (19.0%) had an incidence of hospitalization with pneumonia during the study period. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis identified older age group (≥80 years of age, hazard ratio [HR] =3.15 [95% confidence interval 2.32-4.28]), male sex (HR =1.59 [1.29-1.96]), certain geographic regions (northern, HR =1.36 [1.04-1.78], southern and eastern, HR =1.40 [1.05-1.88]), rural areas (HR =1.34 [1.05-1.72]), chronic heart failure (HR =1.53 [1.02-2.29]), and chronic kidney disease (HR =1.39 [1.03-1.90]) as risk factors for hospitalization with pneumonia in patients with PD. However, treatment for dental caries was a protective factor (HR =0.80 [0.64-0.99]). CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight risk factors that are associated with hospitalization with pneumonia, and, for the first time, suggest a link between treated dental caries and a diminished risk of hospitalization with pneumonia in patients with PD.