Scrub sink contamination and transmission to operating room personnel

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infection Control
• Healthcare Epidemiology

Background:

• Hospital sinks are known reservoirs for microbial contamination.
• Transmission of microorganisms from sinks to healthcare personnel is a documented concern.
• Limited research exists on pathogen transmission from operating bay scrub sinks to operating room (OR) personnel.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate pathogenic contamination of operating bay scrub sinks.
• To assess potential transmission of these pathogens to OR personnel hands post-hand disinfection.
• To evaluate microbial load differences between hospital sites.

Main Methods:

• Swab cultures were obtained from 50 OR personnel hands and 24 scrub sink faucets across two hospital sites.
• Samples were cultured to identify bacterial species and quantify microbial load (CFU/mL).
• Hand swabs were collected after surgical hand scrubbing procedures.

Main Results:

• Significant contamination was found on scrub sink faucets, predominantly with Gram-negative bacteria like *Delftia acidovorans* and *Sphingomonas paucimobilis*.
• No bacterial species overlap was detected between sink faucets and personnel hands.
• One hospital site exhibited significantly higher bacterial growth on both sinks and hands compared to the other.

Conclusions:

• Operating bay scrub sinks harbor significant bacterial contamination.
• Despite sink contamination, no evidence of pathogen transmission to OR personnel hands was observed.
• Regular hygienic maintenance of scrub sinks is crucial for infection control in operating rooms.