Analysis of the Microbiota of the Physiotherapist's Environment.
Tomás Pérez-Fernández, Francisco Llinares-Pinel, Mayte Troya-Franco and 1 others
PMID 32623052WHAT IT FOUND
Reusable sponge electrodes in physiotherapy clinics carry heavy bacterial loads, including pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
These instruments were significantly more contaminated than treatment tables, hands, or air. Strict cleaning protocols for these reusable devices are essential to prevent cross-infection.
Key findings
01Instruments and equipment samples were significantly more contaminated than treatment tables, physiotherapist hands, and ambient air.
02Reusable sponge electrodes showed the highest and most varied contamination among all instruments, including more than 20 bacterial species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter spp., and Escherichia coli.
03There was no correlation between the level of contamination and the center's daily patient load, ownership type, or whether it was outpatient or inpatient.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only analyzed aerobic bacteria, ignoring anaerobic bacteria, fungi, and viruses, which may also be present. The study did not determine the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated microorganisms. Not all planned samples were collected due to variations in how the centers operated, reducing the total sample size from 247 to 201. The study describes contamination levels but does not track actual patient infections or clinical outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that finding bacteria on these surfaces proves they caused patient infections. The study identifies contamination reservoirs, particularly on sponge electrodes, but does not measure clinical transmission or infection rates in the patients treated at these centers.