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Frequency of Instrument, Environment, and Laboratory Technologist Contamination during Routine Diagnostic Testing of

Melanie L Yarbrough1, Jennie H Kwon2, Meghan A Wallace1

  • 1Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|March 23, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Routine laboratory testing poses risks to workers. This study found significant surface contamination, even with personal protective equipment (PPE), highlighting needs for improved clinical laboratory safety practices to reduce pathogen transmission.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Laboratory Science
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Infectious Disease Control

Background:

  • Laboratory testing for infectious diseases presents risks to healthcare workers.
  • Limited data exist on virus transmission risks during routine testing with standard personal protective equipment (PPE).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify laboratory contamination during routine analysis of patient specimens.
  • To assess the effectiveness of standard PPE in preventing contamination during high-risk testing.

Main Methods:

  • Nonpathogenic bacteriophage MS2 was used to simulate virus contamination in patient specimens.
  • Fluorescent powder and reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) detected contamination on surfaces and equipment.
  • Testing was conducted by experienced technologists using standard PPE and automated instrumentation.

Main Results:

  • 100% of tests showed fluorescent contamination on gloves, 36% on hands, and 11% on lab coat cuffs.
  • Contamination was found on test cartridges (44%) and accessories (91%), but not on instrumentation.
  • Actual MS2 detection via RT-PCR was infrequent (1%), primarily during test setup.

Conclusions:

  • Standard PPE and current practices may not fully prevent surface contamination in clinical laboratories.
  • Visible contamination highlights potential risks for laboratory workers handling infectious agents.
  • Findings suggest opportunities to enhance clinical laboratory safety protocols to minimize pathogen transmission.
Keywords:
Ebola viruscontaminationlaboratory-acquired infectionrisk assessmentsample-to-answer testing

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