MRSA contamination in ambulances: a systematic review. (13th November 2019) - Fattorini, M
Abstract: Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a multidrug resistant organism (MDRO) frequently involved in skin, soft tissue and bone infections. Moreover, it is one of the most frequently isolated pathogen in bloodstream infections in European countries. Because of its capacity to survive on inanimate surfaces, this microorganism could be detected not only on hospital environment, but also in other healthcare settings such as ambulances. We performed a systematic review in order to study the level of MRSA contamination in ambulances (vehicle surfaces and medical equipment). Methods: In March 2019 we searched studies in PubMed using the key search terms "MRSA, ambulance". We included different designs of studies in English. Results: The research yielded 18 publications: after title, abstract and full text's analysis, 9 manuscripts were included in this review. Studies were conducted from 2007 to 2018 in USA, Egypt, Poland, Germany and South Korea. Overall, the number of ambulances sampled for MRSA was 511 (min. 3-max. 150), and 64 (12.5%) resulted contaminated by MRSA. Sampling points examined for each vehicle varied from 5 to 33, for a total of 5872 (min. 39-max. 2136) samplings performed. The amount of MRSA positive samplings was 145/5872 (2.5%) (min. 1-max. 43). Stretcher resulted the most frequently contaminated fomite (29 of the 145 MRSA positive samplings, 20%). Conclusions: Despite MRSA prevalence is decreasing in Europe, recent studies showed how this MDRO could still be responsible of a remarkable burden in terms of attributable deaths and costs. Implementing effective sanitation procedures with a continuative monitoring of the processes is highly recommended in all the healthcare settings, including ambulances. Automated terminal disinfection of these vehicles, adopting technologies such as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or hydrogen peroxide aerosol, could reduce bacterial contamination hosted on surfaces and medical equipment. Key messages: Although the percentage of isolates of MRSA in European countries is decreasing, the burden this multidrug resistant organism in terms of mortality and costs remains remarkable. Ambulances must be considered as a potential reservoir of MRSA because of its ability to survive on inanimate surfaces, and adequate sanitation procedures should be frequently performed.