12 hours Ago By By Talker News
By Stephen Beech Nurses who wash their uniforms at home may be unknowingly contributing to the spread of deadly hospital superbugs, warns a new study. Home washing machines fail to remove antibiotic-resistant bacteria from textiles, say scientists. Researchers found washing machine biofilms may harbor potential pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes, which could have an impact on domestic laundering of healthcare workers uniforms.
Study leader Professor Katie Laird, of De Montfort University, Leicester, said: “Our research shows that domestic washing machines often fail to disinfect textiles, allowing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to survive. "If we’re serious about transmission of infectious disease via textiles and tackling antimicrobial resistance, we must rethink how we launder what our healthcare workers wear.” Hospital-acquired infections are a major public health concern, in part because they frequently involve antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Many nurses and other healthcare workers clean their uniforms at home in standard washing machines. But previous research has found that bacteria can be transmitted through clothing, raising the question of whether standard machines can sufficiently prevent the spread of dangerous microbes. For the new study, published in the journal PLOS One, researchers evaluated whether six models of home washing machine successfully decontaminated healthcare worker uniforms, by washing contaminated fabric swatches in hot water, using a rapid or normal cycle.
Half of the machines did not disinfect the clothing during a rapid cycle, while a third failed to clean sufficiently during the standard cycle. The team also sampled biofilms from inside 12 washing machines. DNA sequencing revealed the presence of potentially pathogenic bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes.
The research team also showed that bacteria can develop resistance to domestic detergent, which also increased their resistance to certain antibiotics. Dr. Laird said: "Together, the findings suggest that many home washing machines may be insufficient for decontaminating healthcare worker uniforms, and may be contributing to the spread of hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic resistance.
" The research team, whose study was funded by De Montfort University and the Textile Services Association, propose that the laundering guidelines given to healthcare workers should be revised to ensure that home washing machines are cleaning effectively. Dr. Laird added: "Alternatively, healthcare facilities could use on-site industrial machines to launder uniforms to improve patient safety and control the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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