Those antimicrobial wipes that seem to be everywhere these days were first used in hospitals in Wales in 2005. Now a study conducted by researchers at Cardiff University’s Welsh School of Pharmacy has come full circle to take a second look at those wipes and found that they are often used in ways that promote the spread of bacteria and other pathogens instead of killing them, as their packaging claims they do.

Using surveillance of hospital staff to observe the ways the wipes are used routinely, researchers discovered hospital workers were using the same antimicrobial wipe on many surfaces, from bed rails to monitors, tables, and keypads. One wipe was frequently used to wipe down several surfaces or to wipe down the same surface repeatedly before being thrown away.

The research team then replicated the disinfecting methods they’d observed for laboratory analysis. The lab findings showed that some wipes were more effective than others at removing bacteria from hard surfaces but they did not kill them. When the bacteria-laden wipe was used repeatedly on one surface or on several, it spread the bacteria instead of eliminating it.

Dr. Gareth Williams, a microbiologist for the Welsh School of Pharmacy, calls the surveillance aspect of the study highly revealing for highlighting the risk of contamination that comes with improper use of the wipes. He stands by the effectiveness of the wipes but only when one wipe is used to wipe one surface one time.

Williams presented the findings of the study earlier today at the 108th general meeting of the American Society of Microbiology in Boston. He anticipates the research will generate routine surveillance focusing on more effective means of disinfection in hospitals throughout the world.

The Wales Office of Research and Development for Health and Social Care provided a grant to fund the study.

Source: Cardiff University