Contamination of X-ray Cassettes with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus in a Radiology Department.
10.3343/alm.2012.32.3.206
- Author:
Jae Seok KIM
1
;
Han Sung KIM
;
Ji Young PARK
;
Hyun Sook KOO
;
Chul Sun CHOI
;
Wonkeun SONG
;
Hyoun Chan CHO
;
Kyu Man LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jaeseok@hallym.or.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Staphylococcus aureus;
Staphylococcus haemolyticus;
MRSA;
X-ray cassette;
Contamination;
Radiology;
Infection control
- MeSH:
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology;
Diagnostic Equipment/*microbiology;
Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field;
Humans;
Methicillin Resistance;
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects/*isolation & purification;
Microbial Sensitivity Tests;
Oxacillin/pharmacology;
Staphylococcus haemolyticus/drug effects/*isolation & purification
- From:Annals of Laboratory Medicine
2012;32(3):206-209
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: We performed surveillance cultures of the surfaces of X-ray cassettes to assess contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). METHODS: The surfaces of 37 X-ray cassettes stored in a radiology department were cultured using mannitol salt agar containing 6 microg/mL oxacillin. Suspected methicillin-resistant staphylococcal colonies were isolated and identified by biochemical testing. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis was performed to determine the clonal relationships of the contaminants. RESULTS: Six X-ray cassettes (16.2%) were contaminated with MRSA. During the isolation procedure, we also detected 19 X-ray cassettes (51.4%) contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus haemolyticus (MRSH), identified as yellow colonies resembling MRSA on mannitol salt agar. PFGE analysis of the MRSA and MRSH isolates revealed that most isolates of each organism were identical or closely related to each other, suggesting a common source of contamination. CONCLUSIONS: X-ray cassettes, which are commonly in direct contact with patients, were contaminated with MRSA and MRSH. In hospital environments, contaminated X-ray cassettes may serve as fomites for methicillin-resistant staphylococci.
