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Sensor-Operated Faucets: A Possible Source of Nosocomial Infection?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Ojan Assadian*
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Nadja El-Madani
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Edith Seper
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Stefan Mustafa
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Christoph Aspöck
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Walter Koller
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Hygiene, Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Manfred L. Rotter
Affiliation:
Division of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Vienna, Austria
*
Hygiene-Institute of the University of Vienna, Medical School, Department of Hospital Hygiene, Vienna General Hospital, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Abstract

Recently, contamination of sensor-operated faucets (SOFs) with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was observed. To evaluate odds ratios, we conducted a case–control study in which handle-operated faucets served as controls. No statistically significant difference in P. aeruginosa counts was observed between SOFs and regular faucets in our study (odds ratio, 0.0; 95% confidence interval, 0.0 to 39.0; two-sided P exact = .99).

Type
Concise Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2002

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