If you, or a loved one, has ever been hospitalized for COPD, you have probably seen those little, (generally) pink bath basins that health care workers use to give a patient a bed bath. Well, the next time you see one of those, you may want to ask that the health care worker sanitize it first before using it. Why? A recent study published in the American Journal of Critical Care suggests that these little, pink bath basins are a potential source of hospital acquired infection (HAI).
The statistics surrounding HAI are startling. Each year, they are associated with an estimated 90,000 deaths in the United States alone, and are ranked the fifth leading cause of death in acute care hospitals. Additionally, HAIs result in an annual health care burden of more than $6.5 billion. The numbers are even higher in patients who acquire methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA infections.
The possibility of water as a conduit for infectious bacteria dates back to 1883, Berlin. Since that time, researchers have discovered that bacteria from water supplies of many health care facilities, like acute care hospitals or residential care centers, can spread infections to patients who are already immunocompromised. But researchers went a step further and asked the following question: "Can patients' bath basins harbor microorganisms that are potential sources of HAI, even after the removal of the possibly contaminated water"?
Results of the study concluded that indeed, bath basins were a reservoir for bacteria and that further studies into bath basins being a source of HAI are needed. Additionally, increasing awareness of the infectious potential of bath basins is also warranted, especially for those patients who are in high-risk groups. The study also wishes to address that alternative methods for bathing patients in the hospital setting be implemented, such as using prepackaged bathing supplies instead of a water-filled bath basin. Finally, the study challenges health care providers to develop and implement bathing protocols which address the potential for a patient's exposure to pathogens when using water and a bath basin.
What can you do to prevent HAI when you or a loved one is admitted to the hospital? Make sure that nurses are aware of the potential for infection in bath basins which are laying around the patient's room. Ask that alternative bathing supplies be used, such as pre-heated bathing towelettes which many hospitals are now using. If no alternative bathing supplies are available, you may want to bring your own bathing supplies to the hospital or ask that the bath basin be sanitized before using it. Lastly, be sure that nurses AND doctors who are caring for you, or your loved one, wash their hands before and after patient contact.
Photo of Bed Bath courtesy of Flickr.com, user relark.
Source:
Debra Johnson, RN, BSN, OCN, CIC, Lauri Lineweaver, RN, BSN, CCRN and Lenora M. Maze, RN, MSN, CNRN. Patients’ Bath Basins as Potential Sources of Infection: A Multicenter Sampling Study. American Journal of Critical Care. 2009;18: 31-40.
