Environmental Contamination and Infection Control in Healthcare Settings
Summary
Environmental surfaces and equipment in healthcare environments act as reservoirs for a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi. These inanimate surfaces, or fomites, can contribute to transmission of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) when pathogens persist for hours to months and are subsequently transferred to patients via hands of healthcare workers or direct contact. Effective infection control demands a multifaceted approach encompassing thorough manual cleaning, disinfection with chemical or advanced agents, and the adoption of automated or non-chemical technologies. Recent advances have emphasised integration of no-touch decontamination methods, novel disinfectant chemistries and eco-sustainable probiotic-based sanitation to limit bioburden and reduce selection pressure for antimicrobial resistance. Standardised cleaning protocols, routine monitoring of surface contamination and tailored environmental hygiene strategies remain pivotal in containing outbreaks, safeguarding vulnerable patients and optimising global health outcomes.
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Environmental Contamination and Infection Control in Healthcare Settings publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in environmental contamination and infection control in healthcare settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Fomite: An inanimate object or surface capable of harbouring and transmitting infectious agents.
Healthcare-associated infection (HAI): An infection acquired by a patient during the course of receiving treatment in a healthcare setting.
Bioburden: The quantity of viable microorganisms present on a surface before decontamination.
No-touch decontamination: Automated environmental disinfection methods that do not rely on manual wiping, such as UV-C light or hydrogen peroxide vapour systems.
Probiotic-based sanitation: A cleaning approach using beneficial microorganisms to establish a stable surface microbiome that inhibits pathogen colonisation.
References
- Environmental cleaning to prevent hospital-acquired infections on non-intensive care units: a pragmatic, single-centre, cluster randomized controlled, crossover trial comparing soap-based, disinfection and probiotic cleaning. EClinicalMedicine (2023).
- Persistence of Pathogens on Inanimate Surfaces: A Narrative Review. Microorganisms (2021).
- Modern technologies for improving cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in hospitals. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control (2016).
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