Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Observational Study
. 2015 Sep;36(9):1050-7.
doi: 10.1017/ice.2015.119. Epub 2015 May 26.

Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to Healthcare Worker Gowns and Gloves During Care of Nursing Home Residents

Mary-Claire Roghmann  1 , J Kristie Johnson  2 , John D Sorkin  3 , Patricia Langenberg  1 , Alison Lydecker  1 , Brian Sorace  1 , Lauren Levy  1 , Lona Mody  4
Affiliations
Observational Study

Transmission of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to Healthcare Worker Gowns and Gloves During Care of Nursing Home Residents

Mary-Claire Roghmann et al. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2015 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the frequency of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission to gowns and gloves worn by healthcare workers (HCWs) interacting with nursing home residents to better inform infection prevention policies in this setting

Design: Observational study

Setting: Participants were recruited from 13 community-based nursing homes in Maryland and Michigan

Participants: Residents and HCWs from these nursing homes

Methods: Residents were cultured for MRSA at the anterior nares and perianal or perineal skin. HCWs wore gowns and gloves during usual care activities. At the end of each activity, a research coordinator swabbed the HCW's gown and gloves.

Results: A total of 403 residents were enrolled; 113 were MRSA colonized. Glove contamination was higher than gown contamination (24% vs 14% of 954 interactions; P1.0; P<.05). We also identified low-risk care activities: giving medications and performing glucose monitoring (OR<1.0; P<.05). Residents with chronic skin breakdown had significantly higher rates of gown and glove contamination.

Conclusions: MRSA transmission from MRSA-positive residents to HCW gown and gloves is substantial; high-contact activities of daily living confer the highest risk. These activities do not involve overt contact with body fluids, skin breakdown, or mucous membranes, which suggests the need to modify current standards of care involving the use of gowns and gloves in the nursing home setting.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Potential conflicts of interest. All authors report no conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
MRSA Transmission to Gowns and Gloves of Healthcare Personnel during care of MRSA colonized residents (n=113) by Type of Care provided during 954 interactions
Figure 2
Figure 2
MRSA Transmission to Gowns of Healthcare Personnel during care of MRSA colonized residents (n=113) by Type of Care provided and presence of chronic skin breakdown (e.g. pressure ulcers) during 952 interactions
Figure 3
Figure 3
MRSA Transmission to Gloves of Healthcare Personnel during care of MRSA colonized residents (n=113) by Type of Care provided and presence of chronic skin breakdown (e.g. pressure ulcer) during 950 interactions
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Siegel JD, Rhinehart E, Jackson M, Chiarello L, Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee Management of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms In Healthcare Settings. 2006 - PubMed
    1. Trick WE, Weinstein RA, DeMarais PL, et al. Comparison of routine glove use and contact-isolation precautions to prevent transmission of multidrug-resistant bacteria in a long-term care facility. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2004;52(12):2003–2009. - PubMed
    1. Hughes C, Tunney M, Bradley MC. Infection control strategies for preventing the transmission of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in nursing homes for older people. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;(11):CD006354. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Johannessen T. Controlled trials in single subjects. 1. Value in clinical medicine. BMJ. 1991;303(6795):173–174. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Morgan DJ, Rogawski E, Thom KA, et al. Transfer of multidrug-resistant bacteria to healthcare workers’ gloves and gowns after patient contact increases with environmental contamination. Crit Care Med. 2012;40(4):1045–1051. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms