Ambulances contain disease causing micro organisms, says study
Posted on: 27/Sep/2016 6:01:06 PM
A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control has said that ambulances can be a source of disease-causing microorganisms that can be transmitted to patients or healthcare personnel. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of the Basque Country in Spain.
They carried out a cross-sectional study to analyse microbe or bacterial contamination in ambulances. The samples were collected in 10 of the 17 basic life support ambulances serving in Spain. The medical vehicles had been called out on average 225 times during the 30 days previous to the microbiological study.
Say the researchers, We used blind masking techniques so as not to alter the usual conditions of the vehicles and prevent possible biases in the sample collecting, analysis and interpretation. During the sample gathering, not one of the ten emergency units was found to have a wash basin for washing hands, although eight of them were carrying a hydroalcoholic gel as a substitute for soap and water.
The units did not have any written protocol regarding the way the ambulance should be cleaned and disinfected. The existence of a protocol is desirable because it facilitates the carrying out of proper disinfection by stipulating in detail the steps to be taken. Among the people working in healthcare the hand washing habit is poor and it would be necessary to build awareness about the importance of this hygiene measure to prevent microbial contamination. We detected existence of aggressive infectious bacteria which point to the possibility of cross contamination between the interior and exterior space of the hospital
through the transfers carried out using ambulances. These agents are responsible for hospital infections especially in sick people.
