A Preliminary Assessment of Contamination of Emergency Service Helicopters with MRSA and Multi-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Makiela, Sandrine; Taylor‐Robinson, Andrew W.; Weber, Anthony; Maguire, Brian J.

doi:10.4172/2165-7548.1000304

Cited by 12 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…was also identified (6 out of 7 samples); however, further testing was not performed to confirm the presence of MRSA (7). In contrast, a second Australian study of EMS helicopters detected only MSSA and nonpathogenic skin flora (e.g., Staphylococcus epidermidis) (21). The relatively small sample sizes of the two studies (1 and 2 ambulances tested) leave much room for further investigation; however, the studies indicate that pathogens may also be present within air ambulances.…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%

“…(i) Study designs and methodologies. To date, approximately 25 published studies have investigated pathogen presence in the EMS sector from 1986 to 2016 within the United States (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), Australia (21), the United Kingdom (22), Germany (23)(24)(25), Denmark (26,27), South Korea (28,29), Saudi Arabia (30), and Thailand (31, 32) ( Fig. 1A).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1A). Of these studies, most have investigated pathogens within ground ambulances (6, 8-10, 14, 23-25, 29, 30, 32), although several studies examined air ambulances (7,21), EMS stations (17)(18)(19), EMS medical devices (12,28), uniforms (26), or EMS personnel (11,13,15,16,18,20) for pathogen colonization (Fig. 1B).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies vary significantly in their scope and sampling strategies in terms of number (and type) of vehicles examined, the location of sampling areas, the total number of samples collected, and the frequency of sample collection (Tables 1 and 2). For example, some studies examined pathogen persistence at a single time point (8) or over one or more weeks (7), months (21), or an entire year (22). Similarly, some studies had relatively large sample sizes (Ͼ50 ambulances and 30 sampling sites), and statistical significance could be determined confidently (10,14,24).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only two studies have specifically investigated air ambulances for pathogen contamination (7,21). One U.S. study identified several opportunistic pathogens in a rotor wing air ambulance, including Pseudomonas sp., Aspergillus, and E. coli (7).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

The Emergency Medical Service Microbiome

Hudson

Glaister

Wieden

2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are an integral component of the healthcare framework and function to transport patients from various locations to and between care facilities. In addition to physical injury, EMS personnel are expected to be at high risk to acquire and transmit healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in the workplace. However, currently little is known about EMS biosafety risk factors and the epidemiological contribution of EMS to pathogen transmission within and outside of the healthcare sector. Our review summarizes literature surrounding pathogen prevalence and decontamination strategies in EMS as a basis for understanding biosafety risks in the EMS environment. We conclude that additional studies are needed to investigate pathogen prevalence worldwide and create evidence-based guidelines for decontamination. Finally, we discuss emerging DNA sequencing technologies and other methods that can be applied to characterize and mitigate EMS biosafety risks in the future.Healthcare facility microbiomes contain diverse bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens that cause over 1.7 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) each year in the United States alone. While hospital microbiomes have been relatively well studied, little is known about emergency medical services (EMS) infrastructure and equipment microbiomes or the role(s) they play in HAI transmission between healthcare facilities. We review recent literature investigating the microbiome of ambulances and other EMS service facilities which consistently identify antibiotic-resistant pathogens causing HAIs, including methicillin-resistant (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant, and Our review provides evidence that EMS microbiomes are dynamic but important pathogen reservoirs and underscores the need for more wide-spread and in-depth microbiome studies to elucidate patterns of pathogen transmission. Understanding the complex interplay between EMS and hospital microbiomes will provide key insights into pathogen transmission mechanisms and identify strategies to minimize HAIs and community infection.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 94%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The Emergency Medical Service Microbiome

Hudson

Glaister

Wieden

2018

Appl Environ Microbiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

ドクターヘリの機内環境でMRSAを認めるか？(Can methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus be found in the environment of a physician–staffed helicopter emergency medical service?)

治郎

紳語

貴博

et al. 2023

Nihon Kyukyu Igakukai Zasshi: Japanese Journal of Japanese Asso

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

要旨【目的】ドクターヘリは数多くの患者を搬送し，限られた空間に患者，資機材を載せるため接触感染の可能性が高い環境であるにも関わらず，機内での細菌学的環境調査の報告はない。今回，ドクターヘリ機内で院内感染の主要な原因菌かつ接触感染であるmethicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）を対象とした高頻度接触表面の環境調査を行った。【対象】2020年5月から2021年4月の間で，当施設で使用するドクターヘリ機内の高頻度接触箇所を中心に2回に分けて合計86か所の擦過検体を採取し，細菌培養を行った。【結果】ドクターヘリ機内からBacillus属，Arthrobacter属，Flavimonas属，Pantoea属，Pseudomonas属などの環境菌や土壌菌を中心とした菌を検出したがMRSAは検出されなかった。MRSAは医療スタッフの靴底1検体のみから検出した。【結語】現在行っている環境消毒の一定の効果が示唆された。ドクターヘリで搬送した患者の安全確保のためには，病院内と同様に接触感染予防に努める必要があると考えられる。

show abstract

A Cohort Study of Occupational Fatalities among Paramedicine Clinicians: 2003 through 2020

Maguire

O’Neill

Amiry

2023

Prehosp. Disaster med.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction/Study Objectives: Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics respond to 40 million calls for assistance every year in the United States; these paramedicine clinicians are a critical component of the nation’s health care, disaster response, public safety, and public health systems. The study objective is to identify the risks of occupational fatalities among paramedicine clinicians working in the United States. Methods: To determine fatality rates and relative risks, this cohort study focused on 2003 through 2020 data of individuals classified as EMTs and paramedics by the United States Department of Labor (DOL). Data provided by the DOL and accessed through its website were used for the analyses. The DOL classifies EMTs and paramedics who have the job title of fire fighter as fire fighters and so they were not included in this analysis. It is unknown how many paramedicine clinicians employed by hospitals, police departments, or other agencies are classified as health workers, police officers, or other and were not included in this analysis. Results: An average of 206,000 paramedicine clinicians per year were employed in the United States during the study period; approximately one-third were women. Thirty percent (30%) were employed by local governments. Of the 204 total fatalities, 153 (75%) were transportation-related incidents. Over one-half of the 204 cases were classified as “multiple traumatic injuries and disorders.” The fatality rate for men was three-times higher than for women (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 to 6.3). The fatality rate for paramedicine clinicians was eight-times higher than the rate for other health care practitioners (95% CI, 5.8 to 10.1) and 60% higher than the rate for all United States workers (95% CI, 1.24 to 2.04). Conclusions: Approximately 11 paramedicine clinicians are documented as dying every year. The highest risk is from transportation-related events. However, the methods used by the DOL for tracking occupational fatalities means that many cases among paramedicine clinicians are not included. A better data system, and paramedicine clinician-specific research, are needed to inform the development and implementation of evidence-based interventions to prevent occupational fatalities. Research, and the resulting evidence-based interventions, are needed to meet what should be the ultimate goal of zero occupational fatalities for paramedicine clinicians in the United States and internationally.

show abstract

A Preliminary Assessment of Contamination of Emergency Service Helicopters with MRSA and Multi-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Cited by 12 publications

References 12 publications

The Emergency Medical Service Microbiome

The Emergency Medical Service Microbiome

ドクターヘリの機内環境でMRSAを認めるか？(Can methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus be found in the environment of a physician–staffed helicopter emergency medical service?)

A Cohort Study of Occupational Fatalities among Paramedicine Clinicians: 2003 through 2020

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About