Temporal variations in bacterial community diversity and composition throughout intensive care unit renovations.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Inanimate surfaces within a hospital serve as a reservoir of microbial life that may colonize patients and ultimately result in healthcare associated infections (HAIs). Critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs) are particularly vulnerable to HAIs. Little is known about how the microbiome of the ICU is established or what factors influence its evolution over time. A unique opportunity to bridge the knowledge gap into how the ICU microbiome evolves emerged in our health system, where we were able to characterize microbial communities in an established hospital ICU prior to closing for renovations, during renovations, and then after re-opening.

Results

We collected swab specimens from ICU bedrails, computer keyboards, and sinks longitudinally at each ren

SUBMITTER: Chopyk J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7278141 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature