In a hospital and affiliated long-term care facility, we found that shared wheelchairs were frequently contaminatedwith healthcare-associated pathogens, including Clostridium difficile spores. A network graph of 851 wheelchair transports over 3days demonstrated frequent movement between inpatient wards andoutpatient clinics, radiology, and physical therapy. These results highlight the potential for shared wheelchairs to serve as a vector for pathogen transmission.
Keywords: Clostridium difficile; Disinfection; Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; Portable equipment.
Published by Elsevier Inc.