La infrautilización de grifos en una unidad de cuidados intensivos como causa de reservorios de bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores / Under-utilization of taps in intensive care unit as a cause of reservoirs of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli

INTRODUCCIÓN: La infrautilización de grifos se relaciona con reservorios de bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores en su interior con capacidad de diseminación. Se describe la detección del problema y abordaje en una UCI. MÉTODOS: Estudio descriptivo en una UCI con boxes individuales con lavabo propio. Se recogieron muestras clínicas de pacientes y ambientales de los aireadores de los grifos. Se revisaron medidas de higiene. RESULTADOS: Se identificaron 4 casos de Chryseobacterium indologenes, uno de Elizabethkingia meningoseptica y otro por Pseudomonas aeruginosa, tanto en muestras clínicas como ambientales. Los profesionales indicaron utilizar solución hidroalcohólica casi siempre en la higiene de manos. Tras descartar la apertura controlada diaria de grifos por ineficiente, se decidió su retirada. CONCLUSIONES: Las recomendaciones nacionales resultaron insuficientes para la prevención, detección y control de la contaminación de los grifos de una unidad de alto riesgo de infección. Es necesario mejorar el manejo de los grifos en estas unidades

INTRODUCTION: The under-utilisation of taps is associated with the generation of reservoirs of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli with the ability to disseminate. We describe the detection and approach of the problem in an ICU. METHODS: Observational descriptive study in an ICU with individual cubicles with their own sink. We collected clinical samples from patients and environmental samples from tap aerators and reviewed the unit's hygiene measures. RESULTS: We detected four cases due to Chryseobacterium indologenes, one to Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and another to Pseudomonas aeruginosa; they were identified both in clinical and the environmental samples. The healthcare professionals reported that almost every hand hygiene opportunity was performed with a hydroalcoholic solution. After considered the daily flushing of water outlets as inefficient, it was decided to remove them. CONCLUSIONS: National recommendations were insufficient for preventing, detecting and controlling tap contamination in units with a high risk of infection. The management of taps in these units needs to be improved

Under-utilization of taps in intensive care unit as a cause of reservoirs of nonfermenting gram-negative bacilli. / La infrautilización de grifos en una unidad de cuidados intensivos como causa de reservorios de bacilos gramnegativos no fermentadores.

INTRODUCTION: The under-utilisation of taps is associated with the generation of reservoirs of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli with the ability to disseminate. We describe the detection and approach of the problem in an ICU. METHODS: Observational descriptive study in an ICU with individual cubicles with their own sink. We collected clinical samples from patients and environmental samples from tap aerators and reviewed the unit's hygiene measures. RESULTS: We detected four cases due to Chryseobacterium indologenes, one to Elizabethkingia meningoseptica and another to Pseudomonas aeruginosa; they were identified both in clinical and the environmental samples. The healthcare professionals reported that almost every hand hygiene opportunity was performed with a hydroalcoholic solution. After considered the daily flushing of water outlets as inefficient, it was decided to remove them. CONCLUSIONS: National recommendations were insufficient for preventing, detecting and controlling tap contamination in units with a high risk of infection. The management of taps in these units needs to be improved.