LISBON — The dispensers of alcohol-based disinfectant for hand washing that are ubiquitous in hospitals and physicians' offices are often contaminated with bacteria, including potential pathogens, Dr. Kiran Mangalpally cautioned at the 12th International Congress on Infectious Diseases.
He cultured the push bars of 44 such dispensers at Mount Vernon (N.Y.) Hospital, where he is a resident in internal medicine. Thirty-five, or 80%, proved culture positive.
The push bars are activated by pressure applied by the palm or fingers, which releases a squirt of hand rinse or foam. But the disinfectant does not reach the push bar itself. Twenty-nine of the push bars grew coagulase-negative staphylococci and four grew Staphylococcus aureus, including two that yielded methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Another two push bars grew nonstaphylococcal bacteria.
For comparison, Dr. Mangalpally also cultured 11 doorknobs from hospital bathrooms. Nine of the 11 proved culture positive, all of which grew only coagulase-negative staphylococci. “This is one of those simple things we don't think about much,” he noted in an interview at the congress sponsored by the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
An alternative to push bar-operated dispensers are touch-free dispensers operated by foot pump, electronic sensor, or voice activation technology. These devices are commercially available from major manufacturers, he noted.