Sensitivity profile of Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. isolated from toys used in a teaching hospital playroom* *Study conducted at Instituto Básico de Biociências da Universidade de Taubaté, Taubaté, SP, Brazil.

Infection Control and the Need for Family-/Child-Centered Care

“…The material of the toys affects the likelihood that they will contain bacteria, with plastic being the most prevalent followed by metal and other materials [124]. In a study in an Argentinian children's hospital, the toys that were handled by patients in a playroom were contaminated 87% of the time by bacteria from the Staphylococcus genus [125]. Playroom toys have been noted to be colonized with coagulase-negative staphylococci in 38.8-45.5% of cases [124,125].…”

“…In a study in an Argentinian children's hospital, the toys that were handled by patients in a playroom were contaminated 87% of the time by bacteria from the Staphylococcus genus [125]. Playroom toys have been noted to be colonized with coagulase-negative staphylococci in 38.8-45.5% of cases [124,125]. S. aureus are also found on toys with one study showing 28.8% of toys contaminated by this organism.…”

“…In a study in a Peruvian pediatric hospital, of 40 toys that were tested, 20% had S. aureus recovered in culture [126]. These percentages of S. aureus are not unexpected, however, since between 20 and 40% of the general population are colonized and this organism is known to be prevalent in the environment [125]. While these studies examine the level of contamination with S. aureus, they make no mention of the prevalence of S. aureus infections or any relationship of infections to contact with the contaminated toys.…”

“…Regular cleaning of toys and hard surfaces inside the playroom are important to break the chain of transmission of pathogenic organisms [128]. We recommend the selection of toys and containers for toys made from material that are amenable to washing with soap and water as well as 70% alcohol, like plastic, acrylic, rubber, and metal [125]. Regular cleaning of the toys is recommended, whether it be after each use or calendar-based (e.g., daily).…”