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Published on: February 9, 2011
Toys in a pediatric hospital: are they a bacterial source?
María L Avila-Aguero1, Gabriela German, María M Paris
1Hospital Nacional de Niños, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas, San José, Costa Rica.
Insights
Hospital toys can carry dangerous bacteria, posing a risk for infection. This study found all initial toy cultures positive for pathogens, highlighting the need for toy safety measures in pediatric hospitals.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric hospital infection control
- Microbiology of medical environments
- Toy safety and public health
Background:
- Children in hospitals often receive toys, but their safety is not typically assessed.
- Lack of safety measures for toys in children's hospitals creates potential health risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate bacterial contamination of toys upon hospital entry.
- To determine if toys become contaminated within the hospital environment.
Main Methods:
- Collected cultures from 70 children's toys within 48 hours of admission.
- Re-cultured toys after cleaning with chlorhexidine and water.
- Conducted follow-up cultures on days 5-7, 10-15, and weekly until discharge.
Main Results:
- All initial toy cultures (70/70) were positive for at least one pathogenic microorganism.
- Common pathogens included coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (78%) and Staphylococcus aureus (18%).
- Cleaning significantly reduced bacterial growth (P <.05), but some contamination persisted.
Conclusions:
- Toys entering children's hospitals are frequently contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria.
- Contaminated toys pose an unnecessary risk for nosocomial infections.
- Implementing effective toy decontamination and safety protocols is crucial.
Background:
In children's hospitals, children are commonly provided with toys. Measures to guarantee the safety of these toys are usually not taken. This study was conducted to determine whether toys were contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria when they arrived in the hospital, and whether they were contaminated in the hospital.
Methods:
The study was conducted during a 3-month period. Children who were hospitalized for at least 3 days were chosen as study subjects. Once these children were identified, cultures from their toys were obtained within the first 48 hours of admission. After this first culture, toys were cleaned with 4% chlorhexidine and water and were immediately re-cultured. Following cultures were collected on days 5 to 7, 10 to 15, and every week thereafter until the owner-patient was discharged. Specimens were collected in a standardized manner with moistened swabs and placed in transport media. They were later inoculated onto trypticase soy agar with 5% sheep blood and brain heart infusion agar, incubated at 37 degrees C for 48 hours and examined for colony growth at 24 to 48 hours.
Results:
Seventy children's toys were included in this study. Patients' median age was 26 months (range: 1 day to 9 years). Respiratory infections (43%) and diarrhea (26%) were the most common causes of hospitalization. Fifty-three (76%) toys were made of plastic, 8 (11%) metallic, and 9 (13%) other materials. Twenty-nine (41%) were brought from home, 38 (55%) were purchased from roving vendors, and 3 (4%) were purchased from toy stores. All first cultures were positive for at least 1 pathogenic microorganism: 55 (78%) coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS); 26 (37%) Bacillus spp; 13 (18%) Staphylococcus aureus; 8 (11%) alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus; 5 (9%), Pseudomonas spp; 2 (3%) Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, and 6 (11%) other gram-negative organisms. After toys were cleaned, subsequent cultures showed significant decreases in bacterial growth rates (P <.05). Because some patients were discharged, additional cultures were obtained for only 31 toys.
Conclusions:
Toys entering a hospital can be contaminated with potentially dangerous bacteria and may provide unnecessary risks for nosocomial infection. Effective measures must be implemented to prevent the spread of infections via toys.
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