Bacterial Contamination of Spacer Devices Used by Asthmatic Children: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Respiratory Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Device Contamination

Background:

• Spacer devices are crucial for delivering medication to children with asthma.
• Bacterial contamination of respiratory devices can pose a risk to patients.
• Understanding contamination rates in pediatric asthma spacers is important for infection control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of bacterial contamination in spacer devices used by asthmatic children.
• To identify common bacterial species found on these devices.
• To assess the relationship between cleaning methods and contamination levels.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 asthmatic children (aged 5-17 years) using metered-dose inhaler (MDI) spacers.
• Sterile swabs were used to sample the inner surfaces of spacers.
• Samples were cultured on blood agar and MacConkey agar plates to identify bacterial growth.

Main Results:

• 40% of spacer devices showed pathogenic bacterial isolates, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most frequent (28%).
• Only 17.8% of users washed spacers with soap and water; air-drying was the most common method (84.4%).
• Drying spacers with a cloth was significantly associated with pathogenic bacterial growth (P < 0.001), unlike air-drying.

Conclusions:

• Spacer devices used by asthmatic children exhibit a high prevalence of bacterial contamination.
• While contamination was common, it did not significantly affect asthma control in the studied population.
• Improper drying techniques, specifically using a cloth, are linked to increased pathogenic bacterial contamination.