Regular Surveillance Can Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infection

We are writing in response to the article by Johnson et al¹ on bacterial colonization of patients’ bath basins in 3 acute care hospitals in the United States. Without question, regular surveillance of any reservoir of bacterial colonization in every hospital would assist in our collective efforts toward reducing nosocomial infection.

In fact, just such surveillance took place at Sant Parmanand Hospital, a 140-bed, multispecialty, tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India. Beginning in 2003, swabs were drawn from different operative sites for major or minor surgical interventions. Wards for patients in intensive care as well as medical, surgical, and neonatal units also were sampled. These samples were collected at frequent intervals from wash basins, electrical switches and appliances, trolleys, floors, and cupboards.

In 2007 and 2008, a total of 1274 and 1651 swabs were drawn from environment sites, and 1782 and 1411 were drawn from intensive care sites. Six...