Surface Contamination of CT and MRI Equipment—A Potential Source for Transmission of Hospital-Acquired Infections

Abstract

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a major problem for health care worldwide. These infections cause additional suffering for the patient and infer major societal costs. There has been extensive research on infection transmission in health care, but to a lesser extent within the field of radiology. The purpose of this study was to identify selected hand-touched surfaces inside and outside the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination rooms which are prone to contamination and which could represent a risk for transmission of HAI pathogens. We also aimed to examine differences in bacterial contamination between public and private radiology departments. Six public and four private radiology departments participated in the study. Bacterial samples were taken from ten predetermined surfaces inside and outside CT and MRI examination rooms. Sampling was carried out between patients after standard cleaning procedure, using flocked nylon swabs. The swab was applied over a 100 cm2 surface, and after cultivation, bacterial colony-forming units (CFU) per cm2 were calculated. Bacterial CFU were found on almost all selected surfaces. The highest numbers were found on keyboards, chairs of the patient changing rooms, headphones, and the alarm control/buzzer. There was no significant difference between public and private radiology departments. No multidrug-resistant microorganisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–producing Enterobacterales, or carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales were found in any of the investigated radiology departments. Both the CT and MRI equipment in public and private radiology departments may be potential sources of pathogenic bacteria, and disinfection between patients should be improved.