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| Hospital wipes 'spreading MRSA' | Hospital wipes 'spreading MRSA' |
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| Some types of antibacterial wipes used by hospital staff to rid surfaces of bacteria could be helping to spread it, claims research. | Some types of antibacterial wipes used by hospital staff to rid surfaces of bacteria could be helping to spread it, claims research. |
| The Welsh School of Pharmacy found that MRSA survived on the wipe, and then contaminated everything it touched. | The Welsh School of Pharmacy found that MRSA survived on the wipe, and then contaminated everything it touched. |
| The team said staff should throw away wipes after cleaning just one surface. | The team said staff should throw away wipes after cleaning just one surface. |
| An infection control specialist said killing bacteria instantly was not as vital as the need to tackling the dirt and debris on which they thrive. | An infection control specialist said killing bacteria instantly was not as vital as the need to tackling the dirt and debris on which they thrive. |
| What is remarkable is that some of these wipes actually have the words 'kills MRSA' written on the box Dr Gareth WilliamsWelsh School of Pharmacy | What is remarkable is that some of these wipes actually have the words 'kills MRSA' written on the box Dr Gareth WilliamsWelsh School of Pharmacy |
| Dr Gareth Williams, who is presenting the research at the American Society of Microbiology's Annual Meeting in Boston, said he planned to share his full findings with infection control teams. | Dr Gareth Williams, who is presenting the research at the American Society of Microbiology's Annual Meeting in Boston, said he planned to share his full findings with infection control teams. |
| He visited the intensive care units of Welsh hospitals to watch how staff used wipes, and found it was common for a single wipe to be employed on more than one surface. | He visited the intensive care units of Welsh hospitals to watch how staff used wipes, and found it was common for a single wipe to be employed on more than one surface. |
| "What I found was that staff would wipe one thing, perhaps a bed rail, then move on to several other surfaces, so we went back to the laboratory to see how different wipes performed under these conditions." | "What I found was that staff would wipe one thing, perhaps a bed rail, then move on to several other surfaces, so we went back to the laboratory to see how different wipes performed under these conditions." |
| He discovered that while wipes were quite good at picking up bacteria from the first surface, but were unable to kill off the bacteria they picked up swiftly. | He discovered that while wipes were quite good at picking up bacteria from the first surface, but were unable to kill off the bacteria they picked up swiftly. |
| This meant that the subsequent cleaning using the same wipe resulted in contamination. | This meant that the subsequent cleaning using the same wipe resulted in contamination. |
| One use only | One use only |
| Dr Williams said: "What is remarkable is that some of these wipes actually have the words 'kills MRSA' written on the box. | Dr Williams said: "What is remarkable is that some of these wipes actually have the words 'kills MRSA' written on the box. |
| "We found that, under the conditions we observed in actual hospitals, this wasn't the case." | "We found that, under the conditions we observed in actual hospitals, this wasn't the case." |
| He said that hospital staff should be taught not to clean more than one thing with the same wipe, even if it is advertised as 'anti-bacterial'. | He said that hospital staff should be taught not to clean more than one thing with the same wipe, even if it is advertised as 'anti-bacterial'. |
| Tracey Cooper, a nurse consultant and spokesman for the Infection Prevention Society, welcomed the research, but said that there were reasons why the ability of a wipe to destroy MRSA quickly was not a top priority. | Tracey Cooper, a nurse consultant and spokesman for the Infection Prevention Society, welcomed the research, but said that there were reasons why the ability of a wipe to destroy MRSA quickly was not a top priority. |
| "If they did contain an agent sufficiently powerful to kill bacteria instantly, the chances are it would be very bad for your hands," she said. | "If they did contain an agent sufficiently powerful to kill bacteria instantly, the chances are it would be very bad for your hands," she said. |
| "The human body is beautifully designed for spreading things like MRSA, and if one surface in a room is contaminated with MRSA, it is likely that other surfaces nearby will also be contaminated. | "The human body is beautifully designed for spreading things like MRSA, and if one surface in a room is contaminated with MRSA, it is likely that other surfaces nearby will also be contaminated. |
| "The important thing when cleaning is to physically remove bacteria, and the dust and dirt on which they live. | "The important thing when cleaning is to physically remove bacteria, and the dust and dirt on which they live. |
| "In addition, staff are generally taught that you start wiping the surface that is most likely to be clean, and finish with the surface that is most likely to be dirty." | "In addition, staff are generally taught that you start wiping the surface that is most likely to be clean, and finish with the surface that is most likely to be dirty." |
| A Department of Health spokesman said: "The use of antimicrobial wipes is not counter-productive, we have robust protocols and it is important that staff follow them." |