Study Shows Hospital Floors Are Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Hotspot

Frequent floor cleaning is crucial for infection control, as floors are considered a high-touch surface that can spread pathogens that lead to health care-acquired infections (HAIs) A recent study published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology found hospital floors are frequently contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria within hours of patient admission.

The study was published as part of the proceedings from Decennial 2020, an initiative of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Researchers at the Northeast Ohio VA Healthcare System closely tracked contamination in the hospital rooms of 17 newly admitted patients to determine the transfer of bacteria. Prior to testing, the rooms were cleaned and sanitized and the patients all screened negative for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other germs that lead to HAIs. Researchers then collected cultures one to three times a day from patients, their socks, beds, and other high-touch surfaces including floors.

The researchers found:

• Nearly half of the 17 rooms tested positive for MRSA within the first 24 hours
• MRSA, difficile, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) pathogens were identified in 58% of patient rooms within four days of admission
• Contamination often started on the floors, but ultimately moved to patients’ socks, bedding, and nearby surfaces.

“If bacteria stayed on floors this wouldn’t matter, but we’re seeing clear evidence that these organisms are transferred to patients, despite our current control efforts,” said Curtis Donskey, MD, senior author of the study and hospital epidemiologist at the Cleveland VA Medical Center. “Our findings build upon a growing body of evidence that floors might be an underappreciated source of pathogen dissemination. More studies are needed to obtain additional evidence regarding the role of floors in pathogen transmission and to evaluate potential control measures.”

Learn how facilities across the country are reexamining their floor care best practices to eliminate the SARS-CoV-2 virus and other pathogens that lead to infectious diseases.