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Airborne staphylococci in the surgical ward

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

R. E. O. Williams
R. E. O. Williams
Affiliation:
Wright-Fleming Institute, St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London, W. 2
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The air of a subdivided surgical ward was sampled by the exposure of culture plates for 12 hr. periods 5 days a week.

A number of ‘broadcasts’ of airborne Staphylococcus aureus were observed; many of these were of very short duration. A single person could be recognized as responsible for 22 of the 33 broadcasts; in all cases dispersal seemed to be from carrier sites rather than from infected lesions.

There was little spread of the staphylococci between the 4 rooms of the ward. The frequency of nasal carriage of tetracycline-resistant S. aureus increased from 6·2% in patients examined during their 1st week to 13·2% in those examined in their 4th week in the ward; the rate for all S. aureus declined from 31·3 to 26·4%.

It is suggested that the long-period exposure of culture plates for the collection of airborne staphylococci may be useful in monitoring some aspects of hospital hygiene.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 65 , Issue 2 , June 1967 , pp. 207 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1967

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