Environmental sampling for Clostridium difficile on alcohol-based hand rub dispensers in an academic medical center

Clostridum difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming anaerobic bacillus that has substantial associated morbidity, mortality, and associated healthcare burdens. Clostridium difficile spores are not destroyed by alcohol. Alcohol gel dispensers are used commonly as the hand sanitization method of choice in hospitals. It is possible that gel dispensers are fomites for C. difficile.

Thirty alcohol-based gel dispenser handles outside of rooms of patients with active C. difficile infection were sampled. The samples were assessed for C. difficile by both culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The samples were also assessed for other organisms by culture.

No C. difficile was cultured or detected by PCR on any of the gel dispensers. Coagulase-negative Staphyloccus spp., diptheroids, and Bacillus spp. were the organisms detected most commonly.

At our institution, C. difficile is not present on alcohol-based gel dispensers, but other potentially pathogenis are.