Summary
Background
Surfaces in healthcare facilities can act as reservoirs of infection. Currently, no
standardized protocol on when and how to sample hospital surfaces exists.
Aim
A web-based questionnaire was devised to gain insight into current sampling practices
and was distributed by email to a targeted infection prevention and control (IPC)
audience.
Methods
The survey consisted of 26 questions on sample collection and processing for a number
of healthcare relevant bacterial species.
Findings
The majority of respondents were clinical microbiologists or IPC practitioners, and
57.3% were from either the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, or Ireland. Respondents
had high self-reported knowledge, but this was not consistent with response to certain
questions. There was no consensus on sample sites, either within or between countries.
Indirect sampling methods were preferred for all target microorganisms, and cotton
and flocked swabs were the most popular methods.
Conclusion
The results of our survey highlight the inconsistencies in environmental sampling
between and within countries, and the need for guidance and consensus.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 05, 2022
Accepted:
July 21,
2022
Received:
May 18,
2022
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
