Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2019 Feb;23(3):1266-1278. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_201902_17020.
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are one of the most relevant public health problems worldwide. The role of the hospital environment as a reservoir of pathogens causing HAIs is still debated. These pathogens are common in several hospital environments, where they are able to persist from hours to months and their circulation is favored by healthcare workers (HCWs). Hospital surfaces at close contact with patients such as bed bars and header, bedside table, taps, and handles in wards ("high-touched surfaces"), are considered easily contaminable and at risk to transfer pathogens to patients. However, some studies showed the possible role played by "non-classical" surfaces such as healthcare workers' (HCWs) mobile phones and personal computers as well as oxygen humidifiers and protective lead garments used in operating rooms. HCWs' hands play a fundamental role in patient-to-patient transmission by touching contaminated surfaces or patients during care activities. The aim of this review is to evaluate the role of the hospital environment in the transmission of nosocomial pathogens, focusing on single pathogens causing HAIs and the importance of hospital surfaces as reservoirs.
医疗机构相关感染（HAIs）是全球最重要的公共卫生问题之一。医院环境作为导致 HAIs 的病原体储存库的作用仍存在争议。这些病原体在多个医院环境中很常见，它们能够在数小时到数月内持续存在，医护人员（HCWs）的活动促进了它们的传播。与患者密切接触的医院表面，如床栏和床头、床头柜、水龙头和病房把手（“高接触表面”），被认为容易受到污染，并有可能将病原体转移给患者。然而，一些研究表明，医护人员（HCWs）的手机和个人电脑以及手术室中使用的氧气加湿器和防护铅衣等“非典型”表面可能发挥了一定作用。HCWs 的手在护理活动中通过触摸污染表面或患者在患者之间传播病原体方面发挥着重要作用。本综述的目的是评估医院环境在医院获得性病原体传播中的作用，重点关注导致 HAIs 的单一病原体以及医院表面作为储存库的重要性。
