ArticleBMC infectious diseases2018
ATP bioluminescence assay for evaluating cleaning practices in operating theatres: applicability and limitations.
Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers.
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Who cites it
36 citing papers in PubMed, 85 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Surface microbial dynamics and residual diversity in patient rooms with wooden and painted walls.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Persistence of Biofilm-Forming and Multidrug-ResistantJournal of preventive medicine and hygiene · 2026Article
- The role of ATP bioluminescence in monitoring surface hygiene in hospital settings: a comprehensive review.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2026Review
- Ultrafine "dry vapor" hypochlorous: proof-of-concept disinfection application.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Article
- Managing and monitoring indoor air quality and surface decontamination in healthcare environments.Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju · 2025Review
- Using the ATP luminescence-based method to determine assimilable organic carbon in drinking water.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Compliance with infection control practices among healthcare workers in radiology departments: a participant observation study and adenosine triphosphate assay evaluation of environmental cleanliness.Infection prevention in practice · 2025Article
- Using ATP measurements to rapidly evaluate the cleanliness of spectacle surfaces.BMC research notes · 2025Article
- Implementation of six sigma management to standardize surgical hand disinfection practices.BMC surgery · 2025Article
- Evaluating food contact surface and its influence on restaurant health ratings.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Adenosine Triphosphate Bioluminescence Assay versus Microbiological Swab Culture in the Evaluation of Surface Sanitation in a Pediatric Hospital in Romania.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2025Article
- Towards the development of foods 3D printer: Trends and technologies for foods printing.Heliyon · 2024Review
- Environmental cleaning and disinfection in the operating room: a systematic scoping review through a human factors and systems engineering lens.Infection control and hospital epidemiology · 2024Article
- Outbreak investigation of Serratia marcescens bloodstream infection in an obstetric ward for high-risk pregnant women.BMC infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Applying a multi-faceted infection control strategy to improve hospital environmental cleaning quality.Heliyon · 2024Article
- Can the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay be used as an indicator for hospital cleaning? - A pilot study.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2024Article
- Using adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence level monitoring to identify bacterial reservoirs during two consecutive Enterococcus faecium and Staphylococcus capitis nosocomial infection outbreaks at a neonatal intensive care unit.Antimicrobial resistance and infection control · 2023Article
- Article
- Synthetic Microbial Surrogates Consisting of Lipid Nanoparticles Encapsulating DNA for the Validation of Surface Disinfection Procedures.ACS applied bio materials · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEnvironmental cleaning practice plays an important role in reducing microbial contamination in hospital surfaces and contributes to prevent Healthcare Associated Infections. Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay is a commonly used method for assessing environmental cleanliness on healthcare surfaces. This study tested the feasibility of using ATP-bioluminescence assay for evaluating the efficiency of cleaning procedures in the operating theatre settings, comparing the ATP-bioluminescence test with the traditional culture method.
methodsThe surfaces of 10 operating rooms of two public hospitals (140 samples in total) were examined "at rest", in two moments of the same daily session: before the first scheduled operation (Pre), and before the second, after a clean environment was re-established (Post). Surface contamination was assessed using the cultural method to detect Total Viable Counts (TVC36°C) and ATP-bioluminescence assay (RLU).
resultsThe examined surfaces presented very low TVCs (geometric means: 1.8 CFU/plate; IC95%: 1.6-2.0), always compliant with the relative reference standards. No statistical correlation was found between ATP values and TVCs. However, considering the results in terms of general evaluation of hygienic quality of surfaces, the two methods were consistent in identifying the most contaminated areas (Hospital A > Hospital B; Pre > Post; most contaminated surfaces: scialytic lamp). Furthermore, the ATP mean values showed a progressive increase from surfaces with TVC = 0 to surfaces with TVC > 15 CFU/plate.
conclusionsAlthough not an alternative to cultural methods, the ATP-bioluminescence-assay can be a useful tool to measure the efficiency of cleaning procedures also in environments with very low microbial counts. Each health facility should identify appropriate reference values, depending on the devices used and on the basis of the analysis of the data collected through spatial and temporal sampling series. By providing a rapid feedback, the ATP-assay helps to increase the awareness of operators and allows immediate action to be taken in critical situations.
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