New research from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville charts bacteria's path from the healthcare facility sink to the patient, according to an article on the Becker's Infection Control & Clinical Quality website.
"Our study demonstrates that bacterial spread from drainpipes to patients occurs via a staged mode of transmission," Amy Mathers, MD, the study's lead investigator and an associate professor of medicine and pathology, said in the article.
Bacteria colonize in drainpipe elbows and can grow up the pipes at a rate of about an inch a day. That means bacteria can reach the sink bowl in about a week.
They are eventually splashed in and around the sink.
5 Components of an Integrated Safety Culture in Healthcare
NYC Opens Therapeutic Housing Unit for Medically Vulnerable Detainees
UF Health Hospitals Rely on Green Globes to Realize Their Full Potential
Strategies for Success with Life Sciences and Healthcare Projects
Building Disaster Resilience Through Collaboration