Packaging and Transportation of Oxygen Equipment

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Equipment

Oxygen Equipment Bag

1955 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 328
Author(s):  
&NA;
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Equipment

Emergency medical services oxygen equipment: a fomite for transmission of MRSA?

2018 ◽  
pp. emermed-2018-207758
Author(s):  
Cody Vaughn Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Prehospital Setting ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Nacl Solution ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Storage Area ◽  
Oxygen Equipment ◽  
Patient Infection

ObjectivesThe primary purpose of this study was to determine if methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was present on the surface of oxygen cylinders and regulators used in the prehospital setting and secondarily to assess other surfaces for MRSA within the ambulance compartment, as a comparison.MethodsOn 17 March 2018, the surface of oxygen cylinders and regulators located in ambulances at an emergency medical services (EMS) station in North Alabama (n=9) and at an offsite oxygen cylinder storage area (n=70) were swabbed using sterile cotton-tipped applicators saturated in an 0.9% NaCl solution. These cotton-tipped applicators were then streaked across the surface of HardyCHROM MRSA plates, followed by incubation at 36°C for 24 hours. The growth of pink or magenta colonies was considered a positive indication for the presence of MRSA. The motivation for assessing oxygen cylinders at the offsite storage area was to outline the persistence of MRSA on stored oxygen cylinders.ResultsOf nine oxygen cylinders tested in the ambulances, nine had MRSA colonisation (100%). MRSA was also present on 67 of 70 oxygen cylinders (96%) tested at the offsite oxygen cylinder storage area.ConclusionOxygen cylinders appear to act as a fomite for MRSA. The development of universal disinfection protocols for oxygen equipment could help reduce the risk of patient infection due to cross-contamination.

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