VOL. 1 ISSUE 1
â–ª
JUNE 2025 for IPs
EDITOR’ S CHOICE
06 Shoulder
Arthroplasty: Current Evidence and Techniques on Infection Prevention
09 Investigating
the Effect of Enhanced Cleaning and Disinfection of Shared Medical Equipment on Healthcareassociated Infections in Australia( CLEEN): A Stepped-wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Domestic Laundering of Healthcare Textiles: Disinfection Efficacy and Risks of Antibiotic Resistance Transmission
PLoS ONE 20( 4): e0321467 doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0321467
This study aimed to evaluate domestic laundering machines( DLMs)' ability to decontaminate microorganisms and their potential impact on antimicrobial resistance( AMR). The performance of six DLMs was assessed using Enterococcus faecium bioindicators under various wash cycles and detergent conditions. Shotgun metagenomics was used to analyze the microbiome and resistome of DLMs. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of domestic detergents were determined for S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa, and detergent tolerance and antibiotic cross-resistance were assessed.
The study found that DLMs are particularly ineffective at eliminating these bacteria during short and lowtemperature cycles. During quick cycles, three of the six machines did not exceed 44 degrees Celsius, and 50 percent of the machines failed to decontaminate the laundry. Moreover, none of the washing machines reached the 60 degrees Celsius recommended by the British National Health Service for the effective cleaning of uniforms, even in normal cycles.
Prolonged exposure to household detergents may even reinforce this resistance, making them more difficult to eliminate. They also discovered bacterial biofilms inside many of the washing machines, identifying 94 different microorganisms in these biofilms, onethird of which are considered potentially pathogenic to humans. DNA sequencing identified potentially pathogenic genera, particularly Mycobacterium, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter, and revealed the presence of antibiotic resistance genes.
Enterococcus faecium could survive at least 20 days on cotton. Bacteria within biofilms can transfer resistance genes to each other, further promoting antibiotic resistance.
ANALYSIS
Relying exclusively on domestic washing machines is insufficient for preventing the spread of potentially dangerous microbes among healthcare workers. If detergents are used at levels lower than necessary to kill the bacteria, these microorganisms are exposed to a level of detergent to which they can become resistant.
As a solution, the study suggests that healthcare facilities should have industrial washing machines on their premises to wash uniforms. Using industrial washing machines could improve patient safety and control the spread of antibioticresistant pathogens.
Unlike domestic washing machines, industrial washing machines are monitored to ensure that disinfection levels are met.
They propose that the washing guidelines given to healthcare workers be reviewed to ensure that home washing machines clean effectively or, preferably, that uniforms be washed in industrial machines.
Hospital-acquired infections are a major public health issue, partly because they often involve antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including P. aeruginosa, E. faecium, and Staphylococcus aureus. These bacteria are known to cause severe infections and are classified as critical by the World Health Organization( WHO).
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