Bacteriological sampling of postmortem rooms.

Abstract

SUMMARY Thirty hospital and coroners' postmortem rooms in the West Midlands were visited over two years. The design, environmental facilities, and hygienic practices were investigated and air exchange rates were measured. Microbiological samples were taken from the environment and from gloves, hands, and protective clothing of staff. Glove punctures were also recorded and a plastic isolator evaluated. Bacterial counts in the air were low and related more to the number of people in the room than to the air exchange rate. There was little evidence of the production of aerosol containing bacteria, although splashing occurred while intestines were being washed out. Surfaces often remained contaminated with Gram negative bacilli after cleaning but numbers were considerably reduced on drying. Decontamination of instruments was satisfactory. A wide range of disinfectants and concentrations was used, but none showed evidence ofcontamination. Gloves were heavily contaminated after use, and occasionally the hands of the wearer after removal of the gloves. Washing the hands effectively removed residual transient organisms, irrespective of the agent used. The incidence of glove punctures was higher among technicians (38%) than pathologists (12%). The plastic isolator reduced smells and limited environmental contamination but visibility and acceptability were poor.The results of the study suggest that there is little evidence of risk of infection to staff, providing basic hygienic precautions are taken, but consideration should be given to the prevention of glove punctures.

Myths and Legends in Orthopaedic Practice: Are We All Guilty?

“…Tangential support to this argument can be gleaned from the literature [11,29,34,43,70,75,84,87,89,92,100,104,125]. The hands of physicians are a known link in the transmission of nosocomial pathogens [70].…”

“…In the absence of gloves, there is a considerable increase in bacterial contamination of healthcare workers' hands after patient contact [75,87,100]. Numerous studies have investigated the rates of hand contamination after patient care, and hand contamination may occur even if gloves are worn [11,29,34,43,75,84,87,92,101,125].…”

Prevalence of Demodex in Health Personnel Working in the Autopsy Room

“…In addition, it has also been stated that this parasite has a role in the pathogenesis of diseases by acting as a vector in the detection of some pathogenic organisms (eg, Hansen bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, rickettsia, and certain viruses) and by providing a convenient environment for bacteria. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]15,17 In this study, the relationship between certain factors reported to be effective in the occurrence of Demodex and cause the parasite to become pathogenic was investigated in physicians and autopsy technicians who work in the autopsy room.…”

“…During procedures carried out on bodies in the autopsy room, slow viruses such as tuberculosis, hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTVL), CreutzfeltJakob, as well as Q-fever, Legionnaires disease, splenic fever, tetanus, typhoid, and paratyphoid factors, proteus, streptococcus, fungi, and ecto-and endoparasites carry a risk of contamination for the staff. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Sources mention risks of various infections for those working in the autopsy room. However, no reference has been made to the frequency rate of Demodex, which is an ectoparasite, in the health personnel working in the autopsy room.…”

“…[11][12][13] Although the parasite is densely found in the area of the face, it can also be encountered in other areas of the body where sebum formation is abundant. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]14,16 The parasite plays an important role in the pathogenesis of certain skin diseases such as pityriasis folliculorum, perioral dermatitis, blepharitis, rosacea, eruptions resembling rosacea, acne vulgaris, pigmentation, and allergic reactions. In addition, it has also been stated that this parasite has a role in the pathogenesis of diseases by acting as a vector in the detection of some pathogenic organisms (eg, Hansen bacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, rickettsia, and certain viruses) and by providing a convenient environment for bacteria.…”