Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34555096›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

The NICU flora: An effective technique to sample surfaces.

Naomi Sultan, Irina Shchors, Marc V Assous, Maskit Bar-Meir

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Naomi SultanPediatric Department, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, IL, United States of America.
Irina ShchorsNeonatal Intensive Care Unit, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, IL, United States of America.
Marc V AssousMicrobiology Laboratory, Shaare-Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, IL, United States of America.
Maskit Bar-MeirFaculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, IL, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0003-1616-2111

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveEnvironmental surface sampling in healthcare settings is not routinely recommended. There are several methods for environmental surface sampling, however the yield of these methods is not well defined. The aim of the present study is to compare two methods of environmental surface sampling, to characterize the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) flora, compare it with rates of infection and colonization and correlate it with the workload. DESIGN AND

settingFirst, the yield of the swab and the gauze-pad methods were compared. Then, longitudinal surveillance of environmental surface sampling was performed over 6 months,once weekly, from pre-specified locations in the NICU. Samples were streaked onto selective media and bacterial colonies were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF).

resultsThe number of colonies isolated using the gauze pad method was significantly higher compared with the swab method. Overall, 87 bacterial species of 30 different bacterial genera were identified on the NICU environmental surfaces. Of these, 18% species were potential pathogens, and the other represent skin and environmental flora. In 20% of clinical cultures and in 60% of colonization cultures, the pathogen was isolated from the infant's environment as well. The number of bacteria in environmental cultures was negatively correlated with nurse/patient ratio in the day prior to the culture.

conclusionThe gauze pad method for environmental sampling is robust and readily available. The NICU flora is very diverse and is closely related with the infants' flora, therefore it may serve as a reservoir for potential pathogens.

Indexed as

BacteriaCross InfectionEnvironmental MonitoringEquipment ContaminationHumansInfantInfant, NewbornIntensive Care Units, NeonatalLongitudinal StudiesPhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID34555096
PMCPMC8460043

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.