Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

A microbiological study of absorbent pads.

M S Sprott¹, A M Kearns, D Keenlyside

¹Public Health Laboratory, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The Journal of Hospital Infection

|August 1, 1988

Summary

Microbial contamination was found in incontinence pads, including potentially harmful bacteria like Clostridium spp. in recycled materials. Researchers recommend using these pads only for their intended purpose of containing excreta to minimize risks.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Staphylococcus aureus colonization and acquisition of skin and soft tissue infection among Royal Marines recruits: a prospective cohort study.

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·2019

Same author

Outbreak report of investigation and control of an outbreak of Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-positive methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-MSSA) infection in neonates and mothers.

BMC infectious diseases·2019

Same author

Whole-Genome Sequencing Reveals the Contribution of Long-Term Carriers in Staphylococcus aureus Outbreak Investigation.

Journal of clinical microbiology·2017

Same author

Detection and molecular characterization of Livestock-Associated MRSA in raw meat on retail sale in North West England.

Letters in applied microbiology·2016

Same author

Improved understanding of an outbreak of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a regional burns centre via whole-genome sequencing.

The Journal of hospital infection·2016

Same author

First report of identification of livestock-associated MRSA ST9 in retail meat in England.

Epidemiology and infection·2015

Area of Science:

Microbiology
Healthcare Product Safety

Background:

Incontinence underpads are widely used medical devices.
Assessing the microbial load of these products is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the microbial content of various incontinence underpads and clinical absorbent pads.
To identify specific microorganisms present in unused samples.

Main Methods:

Microbiological analysis of three types of incontinence underpads and one clinical absorbent pad.
Isolation and identification of bacterial species from unused product samples.

Main Results:

Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Bacillus spp. were detected in all examined pad types.
Clostridium spp., including C. tetani and C. perfringens, were isolated from pads containing recycled waste material.

Related Experiment Videos

Conclusions:

Unused incontinence underpads can harbor microbial contaminants.
The presence of Clostridium spp. in recycled materials poses a potential health risk.
Incontinence underpads should be used strictly for their intended purpose of excreta containment.