RECOVERY OF VANCOMYCIN-RESISTANT ENTEROCOCCI ON FINGERTIPS AND ENVIRONMENTAL, SURFACES

OBJECTIVE: To determine the recovery of vancomycin-resistant enterococ ci (VRE) on fingertips, gloved fingertips, and environmental surfaces commonly encountered in the healthcare setting, and to examine the imp ortance of handwashing on the removal of these organisms. DESIGN: Two clinical isolates of VRE (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faeci um) were inoculated onto the hands of healthy human volunteers and the following environmental surfaces: countertops, bedrails, telephones, and stethoscopes. Following inoculation, samples were obtained at vari ous time intervals to determine rates of recovery of organisms. To eva luate the effects of handwashing on enterococcal recovery, two differe nt soap preparations were tested. Hands were washed with water alone o r with one of the soaps and water. The soap and water studies were per formed with a 5-second and a 30-second wash. RESULTS: Both enterococca l strains survived for at least 60 minutes on gloved and ungloved fing ertips. The E faecalis was recoverable hom countertops for 5 days; the E faecium persisted for 7 days. For bedrails, both enterococcal speci es survived for 24 hours without significant reduction in colony count s. The bacteria persisted for 60 minutes on the telephone handpiece an d for 30 minutes on the diaphragmatic surface of the stethoscope. A 5- second wash with water alone resulted in virtually no change in recove ry of enterococci; a 30-second wash with water plus either soap was ne cessary to eradicate the bacteria from hands completely. CONCLUSION: V RE are capable of prolonged survival on hands, gloves, and environment al surfaces. Hands should be washed thoroughly and gloves removed foll owing contact with patients infected or colonized with these multidrug -resistant bacteria. Finally, environmental surfaces may serve as pote ntial reservoirs for nosocomial transmission of VRE and need to be con sidered when formulating institutional infection control policies (Inf ect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;16:577-581).