Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37638062›Full record

ArticleInfection and drug resistance2023

Intensive Care Unit Sluice Room Sinks as Reservoirs and Sources of Potential Transmission of Carbapenem-Resistant Bacteria in a South African Tertiary Care Hospital.

Khelan R Dheda, Chad M Centner, Lindsay Wilson, Anil Pooran, Shireen Grimwood, Yonas T Ghebrekristos, Suzette Oelofse, Ivan A Joubert, Aliasgar Esmail, Michele Tomasicchio

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Infection and drug resistance, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 41% of its field
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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Carbapenem-resistantMicrobiology spectrum · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Dirty Utility Rooms of Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: A Multi-Regional Case Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025
    Observational
  4. Review
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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Khelan R DhedaDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Chad M CentnerDivision of Medical Microbiology, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS)/Groote Schuur Hospital, Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Lindsay WilsonDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town and UCT Lung Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.
Anil PooranDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town and UCT Lung Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.
Shireen GrimwoodDivision of Medical Microbiology, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS)/Groote Schuur Hospital, Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Yonas T GhebrekristosDivision of Medical Microbiology, National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS)/Groote Schuur Hospital, Microbiology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Suzette OelofseDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town and UCT Lung Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.
Ivan A JoubertDivision of Critical Care, Department of Anaesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Aliasgar EsmailDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town and UCT Lung Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.
Michele TomasicchioDivision of Pulmonology, Department of Medicine, Centre for Lung Infection and Immunity, University of Cape Town and UCT Lung Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.ORCID 0000-0003-2421-7215
University of Cape Town · ZANational Health Laboratory Service · ZA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Purpose: Carbapenem-resistant bacteria (CRB) pose a major health risk to patients in intensive care units (ICU) across African hospitals. There are hardly any data about the role of hospital sinks as reservoirs of CRB in resource-poor African settings. Furthermore, the specific within-sink location of the highest concentration of pathogens and the role of splash back as a transmission mechanism remains poorly clarified. Methods: We swabbed ICU sluice room sinks in a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Swabs were taken from four different parts of the sluice room sinks (tap-opening, trap, below the trap, and u-bend). Dilutions were prepared and plated on carbapenem-infused agar. Colonies were identified and drug resistance profiles were determined using a biochemical analyser. To evaluate the potential transmission from the sink, similar plates were placed at fixed distances from the sink when the tap was turned on and off. Results: CRB were isolated from the trap, water interface below the trap, and the u-bend (the latter harboured the highest density of CRB species). Five CRB, resistant to at least 7 antibiotic classes, were isolated including Conclusion: There is a higher density of CRB in the u-bend of ICU sluice room sinks which can act as a potential source of transmission. The data inform targeted CRB transmission-interruption strategies in resource-poor settings.

Indexed as

antimicrobial resistancecarbapenem-resistant bacteriaintensive care unitsmulti drug resistant bacteriasluice room sink

Identifiers

PMID37638062
PMCPMC10455775
OpenAlexW4386033835

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.