Healthcare personnel intestinal colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:This study aims to assess the association between patient contact and intestinal carriage of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) by sampling healthcare personnel (HCP) and staff without patient contact. METHODS:For this observational study, we recruited 400 HCP who worked in our 200-bed research hospital and 400 individuals without patient contact between November 2013 and February 2015. Participants submitted two self-collected perirectal swabs and a questionnaire. Swabs were processed for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Questionnaires explored occupational and personal risk factors for MDRO carriage. RESULTS:Among 800 participants, 94.4% (755/800) submitted at least one swab, and 91.4% (731/800) also submitted questionnaires. Extended spectrum ?-lactamase-producing organisms were recovered from 3.4% (26/755) of participants, and only one carbapenemase-producing organism was recovered. No VRE were detected. The potential exposure of 68.9% (250/363) of HCP who reported caring for MDRO-colonized patients did not result in a rate of MDRO carriage among HCP (4.0%; 15/379) significantly higher than that of staff without patient contact (3.2%; 12/376; p 0.55). CONCLUSIONS:This is the largest US study of HCP intestinal MDRO carriage. The low colonization rate is probably reflective of local community background rates, suggesting that HCP intestinal colonization plays a minor role in nosocomial spread of MDROs in a non-outbreak setting. TRIAL REGISTRATION:clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01952158.

SUBMITTER: Decker BK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5682231 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature