Cleaning Hospital Sink Drain Covers Shows Limited Bacteria Reduction

A recent study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection found that drain biofilms contaminated sink surfaces in a hospital. Although culturable bacteria were generally undetectable on sink surfaces immediately after cleaning, median counts exceeded pre-cleaning levels after just 10 hours. 

Hospital sink drains are known reservoirs for many pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Drain bacteria can migrate up to the drain cover and then spread to surrounding surfaces and patients through droplet dispersal during sink use. Therefore, cleaning sink surfaces represents a key intervention strategy to limit transmission between drains and patients.

A key goal of this study was to determine whether additional cleaning of drain covers could reduce exposures to drain bacteria. Study sinks were already cleaned during the routine daily cleaning by environmental services (EVS) staff. The study intervention cleaning involved thorough physical scrubbing, use of a bleach-based disinfecting wipe, and sufficient contact time. The addition of this second, thorough cleaning reduced bacterial counts, but these quantities rebounded to 80% of pre-cleaning levels in 24 hours. The research found that thorough cleaning may reduce exposures if performed at least daily but does not have benefits beyond this timescale.

As CMM previously reported, researchers also recently found that consistent use of disinfectant foam in patient room sinks led to fewer pathogens being spread