Background: Sphygmomanometers and their cuffs are non-critical items that can act as a fomite for transmission of pathogens which may cause healthcare-associated infection (HAI), leading to an argument that disposable equipment improves patient safety.
Aim: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that decontamination decreased in microbial contamination of non-disposable sphygmomanometer cuffs, providing evidence to negate the need to purchase, and dispose of, single-patient-use cuffs, reducing cost and environmental impact.
Methods: A pre-post intervention study of available sphygmomanometer cuffs and associated bedside patient monitors was conducted using a series of microbiological samples in a rural emergency department. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test analysed the effect of the decontamination intervention. To further examine the effect of the decontamination intervention, Mann-Whitney U-tests were conducted for each aspect.
Findings: Contamination was significantly higher before decontamination than afterwards (Z = -5.14, U = 55.0, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.61 inner; Z = -5.05, U = 53.5, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.59 outer).
Discussion: Decontamination of non-disposable sphygmomanometer cuffs decreases microbial load and risk of HAI, providing evidence to negate arguments for disposable cuffs while being environmentally sensitive and supportive of a culture of patient safety and infection control.
Keywords: Infection prevention; acute care; audit; behaviour; cross-transmission; decontamination; environment.
© The Author(s) 2018.