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Implications for the Use of Carpet Tiles in Patient Unit Corridors

The healthcare environment is abundant with microorganisms, some more dangerous than others. The CDC guidelines for environmental infection control in health-care facilities assert that carpets may contain higher levels of microbial contamination than hard surface flooring; however, these surfaces are not directly associated with the transmission of infections to staff or patients. This is an applied research study that investigates the seam integrity of carpet tiles used in acute care environments.

Objective

This study tested the viability of carpet tile in a patient unit corridor by measuring the level of microbial penetration at the seams. In addition, the study developed a methodology for detecting potential pathogens populated on hospital surfaces.

Methodology

Environmental conditions were measured through sampling of the ambient air temperature, ambient air relative humidity, the floor finish material surface temperature, the sub-floor surface temperature, the floor finish material moisture, and the sub-floor finish material moisture.

Samples using the tape lift method were randomly procured for microscopy analysis for mold and analyzed in a double blind study.

Surface swab samples were randomly collected for DNA sequencing for bacterial identification and community composition. Samples were taken from the carpet tiles; and non-tiled carpet and resilient flooring, which were used as controls in the study. Other surfaces were swabbed during two of the sampling periods to determine the potential for mobile sources to spread bacterial contaminants.

Results

The study found that the physical environment complied with industry standards for temperature, relative humidity, surface and substrate temperatures and moisture levels; though spores were observed on all surfaces tested, fungal colonization was not observed. Since fungal conditions were not promoted under the conditions measured, testing the viability of the seam to prevent moisture and contamination from traveling from the surface to the back of the tile was not completely proven. However, comparing the moisture level of the subfloor between visits 4 and 5 when a scheduled hot water extraction method cleaning occurred found that the moisture levels of the subfloor did not change, suggesting that the carpet tile seam does provide a barrier for moisture from surface to backing.

The genetic analysis successfully identified bacteria harbored in the carpet tile, non-tile carpet, resilient flooring and other surfaces present in the hospital corridor that was subject to this study. While the profile of the carpet tile contained the highest number of identified different species and total species, the backing contained the lowest number of species and exhibited a decrease in diversity over time, indicating that the carpet tile does sustain its integrity at the seams. Finally, no sequence retrieved from the tiled carpet was closely related to bacterial pathogens, though samples from the resilient flooring (control 1 and 2), a nurse’s shoe sole, and a wheel of a patient’s bed revealed sequences from known or potential pathogens.

Expertise Provided: Independent Research, Product Evaluation + Testing