Major articleRecovery of resistant bacteria from mattresses of patients under contact precautions

- The predominant microorganisms cultivated from mattresses were resistant.
- The phenotypic similarity of A. baumannii in mattresses suggests circulation of the same strain.
- Microorganisms from the previously patient that occupied the mattress was recovered.

BackgroundMicroorganisms may contaminate hospital mattresses even after terminal cleaning. We investigated the recovery of resistant bacteria from the mattresses of patients under contact precautions at a university hospital.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study. Samples were obtained from the surface of mattresses, spread on replicate organism detection and counting plates, and cultivated at 37°C for 48 hours. After collecting samples, we identified microorganisms and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the Vitek 2 (bioMérieux SA, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) automation system.ResultsWe evaluated 51 mattresses. A total of 26 had resistant bacteria on the surface; the predominant species were Acinetobacter baumannii (69.2%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (11.5%), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.5%). The median length of hospital stay was 41 days; the bed occupancy for patients under contact precautions and the time at which the patient was diagnosed as a carrier of resistant bacteria was 18 days.ConclusionsThe phenotypic similarity of A baumannii in inpatient units (mattresses) suggests circulation of the same strain. These results highlight the importance of controlling the potential spread of microorganisms through hospital mattresses.