Handling of laundry in nursing homes in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2016 – laundry and professional clothing as potential pathways of bacterial transfer

Heudorf, U.; Gasteyer, S; Müller, Mária; Serra, Nicole; T, Westphal; Reinheimer, Claudia; Kempf,

doi:10.3205/dgkh000305

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(26 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Studies have found that white coats worn in dental hospitals become colonized majorly by gram-positive microorganisms [ 55 , 56 ]. Staphylococcus aureus has been the commonest microorganism isolated from white coats and other uniforms worn by HCWs [ 57 – 60 ]. However, there is paucity of data on the spread of infections to patients through attire worn by HCWs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection Control Practices Among Private Practicing Dentists in Nairobi During the Pre-coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

Otieno

Kihara

Mua

2020

Front. Oral. Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Cross-infection control is a dynamic field that requires frequent updates due to emerging diseases, advancement in technology, and scientific knowledge. Despite wide publication of guidelines, a laxity in compliance to the standard precautions for infection control by dental health-care personnel (DHCP) has been reported globally. Therefore, there is need to review previous shortcomings in order to adequately secure dental practices during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to determine knowledge and infection control practices by dentists in private practices. The study was done a few months before the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Kenya.Materials and Methods: The study design was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was carried out in selected private dental clinics located in Nairobi. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Convenience sampling method was utilized, while data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0.0.0.Results: A total of 71 private dentists participated in the study. Their mean age was 38 years with an age range of 27–55 years. Almost all (70, 98.6%) the dentists were able to define cross infection correctly. Majority (62, 87.3%) correctly differentiated between sterilization and disinfection, while 9 (12.7%) had difficulties. Most (68, 95.8%) of the respondents were aware of the standard precautions for cross-infection control. All participants used face masks and gloves. About half of them (38, 54%) practiced hand washing after removal of gloves and 31 (43.7%) before and after wearing of gloves, while 2 (2.8%) washed hands only before wearing gloves. Only 31 (42.3%) and 26 (36.6%) participants reported use of rubber dam isolation and impervious barrier, respectively. All the dentists reported disposal of sharps into especially labeled containers, while about half reported use of disposable suction traps and amalgam separators.Conclusion: The dentists had a good knowledge on various aspects of infection control measures that were studied. Use of basic personal protective equipment was widely practiced. There were irregularities in hand hygiene, use of rubber dam, surface barriers, and waste management. The work highlights that many dentists were unprepared to manage infectious risk during the COVID-19 outbreak, which justified the closure of the dental facilities. Development of strategies to promote adequate and safe practice is highly recommended.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection Control Practices Among Private Practicing Dentists in Nairobi During the Pre-coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

Otieno

Kihara

Mua

2020

Front. Oral. Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…At the time, the term referred to "seeds of disease" that were thought to be found in the clothing of infected individuals that could spread illness through indirect human contact [1]. Fomites as disseminators of infectious agents in the healthcare setting remain relevant in the 21st century, as clothing and linens have been shown to harbor pathogens, even after laundering [2][3][4]. Importantly, contaminated textiles have been shown to play a role in the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria [5,6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiome of Clothing Items Worn for a Single Day in a Non-Healthcare Setting

Whitehead

Eppinger

Srinivasan

et al. 2023

Microbiology Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

When worn, clothing acquires a microbiome of bacteria and fungi derived from the wearer’s skin and from the environment. The types of bacteria and fungi that may be recovered from clothing in healthcare settings have been well characterized, but less is known regarding the microbiome of clothing worn in non-healthcare settings and the possible roles that such clothing may play in microbial exchange. Culture-based methods and culture-independent genomic sequencing were used to enumerate and identify bacteria and fungi recovered from T-shirts, baby onesies, socks, and underwear worn for a single day after having been purchased new, washed, and dried. The highest bacterial loads were recovered from socks, underwear, and onesies (>106 colony-forming units [cfu]/sample) and the highest fungal loads were obtained from socks and underwear (>5 × 102 cfu/sample). The sequencing method identified opportunistic pathogens present in the samples, including members of genus Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium, as well as anaerobic members of the family Clostridiales. The opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis was identified in a high proportion of worn clothing samples. These results suggest that clothing may represent a pathogen reservoir and a vector for microbial exchange between household occupants or the community outside of the home.

show abstract

“…found high levels of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination on healthcare workers’ uniforms in elderly care settings ( Gaspard et al., 2009 ). Huedorf and associates investigated laundry handling in nursing homes and found that used gowns had significantly higher levels of contamination compared to freshly reprocessed ones ( Heudorf et al., 2017 ). Other researchers in hospital settings have shown frequent contamination of attire with potential pathogenic bacteria, including multidrug-resistant organisms ( Perry et al., 2001 , Wiener-Well et al., 2011 , Mitchell et al., 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, healthcare workers may not wash it at the proper temperature and dry it according to the laundry rules owing to the type of fabric ( Dutch Working Party on Infection Prevention 2017 ). A German study performed in 44 nursing homes showed that attire washed by nursing staff at their own home had significantly higher contamination rates than attire washed in the certified external laundry or in nursing homes themselves ( Heudorf et al., 2017 ). In addition, non-professional attire frequently does not meet other requirements for professional attire in healthcare, such as the requirement for short sleeves ( Dutch Working Party on Infection Prevention 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preferences for healthcare worker attire among nursing home residents and residents’ preferences as perceived by workers: A cross-sectional study

Eikelenboom-Boskamp

Huis²,

Saris

et al. 2023

International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Handling of laundry in nursing homes in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, 2016 – laundry and professional clothing as potential pathways of bacterial transfer

Cited by 8 publications

References 27 publications

Infection Control Practices Among Private Practicing Dentists in Nairobi During the Pre-coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

Infection Control Practices Among Private Practicing Dentists in Nairobi During the Pre-coronavirus Disease 2019 Period

Microbiome of Clothing Items Worn for a Single Day in a Non-Healthcare Setting

Preferences for healthcare worker attire among nursing home residents and residents’ preferences as perceived by workers: A cross-sectional study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About