Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39961513›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of hospital infection2025

Survey of healthcare-associated sink infrastructure, and sink trap antibiotic residues and biochemistry, in twenty-nine UK hospitals.

G Rodger, K K Chau, P Aranega Bou, G Moore, A Roohi, SinkBug Consortium, A S Walker, N Stoesser

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of hospital infection, 2025. 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
–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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  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

8 authors.

G RodgerNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with Public Health England, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK.
K K ChauNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with Public Health England, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK.
P Aranega BouBiosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.
G MooreBiosafety, Air and Water Microbiology Group, UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, UK.
A RoohiNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with Public Health England, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK.
SinkBug Consortium
A S WalkerNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with Public Health England, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK.
N StoesserNuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance at University of Oxford in Partnership with Public Health England, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford, UK; NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK. Electronic address: nicole.stoesser@ndm.ox.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHospital sinks are linked to healthcare-associated infections. Antibiotics and chemicals in sink traps can select for pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Optimizing sink design and usage can mitigate sink-to-patient dissemination of pathogens.

aimTo perform a large-scale survey of hospital sink infrastructure.

methodsTwenty-nine UK hospitals submitted photos and metadata for sinks across three wards (intensive care unit (ICU)/medical/surgical; January-March 2023). Photos were used to classify sink design as 'optimal' according to guidelines and published studies. Sink trap aspirates were dipstick-tested for antibiotics and chemistry. Logistic regression was used to characterize associations of ward type and sink location with optimal sink design or detectable trap antibiotics.

findingsOf 287 sinks surveyed, 111 were in ICUs, 92 in medical wards, and 84 in surgical wards; 77 were in medicines/drug preparation rooms, 97 on patient bays, 25 in patient side-rooms, and 88 in sluice rooms. Sink-to-bed ratios ranged from 0.23 to 2.83 sinks per patient bed and were higher on ICUs (1.21 versus 0.82 and 0.84 on medical and surgical wards, respectively; P = 0.04). The median sink-to-patient distance was 1.5 m (interquartile range: 1.00-2.21 m). Sink design varied widely; it was deemed 'optimal' for 65/122 (53%) sinks in patient bays/side-rooms and 'optimal' design was associated with side-room location (P = 0.03). Antibiotics were detected in 95/287 (33%) sink traps and were associated with medicines/drug preparation rooms (P <0.001). Sink trap chemicals detected included metals, chlorine, and fluoride.

conclusionSinks are common in hospitals, frequently close to patients, and often sub-optimally designed. Commonly used antibiotics were detected in a third of sink traps and may contribute to the selection of pathogens and AMR in these reservoirs, and subsequent transmission to patients.

Indexed as

Anti-Bacterial AgentsHospitalsCross InfectionHumansIntensive Care UnitsSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited KingdomAnti-Bacterial AgentsAntibioticsAntimicrobial resistanceHospital-associated infectionSink designSink drainsSinks

Identifiers

PMID39961513
PMCPMC7618982

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.