Journal of Infection Prevention最新文献

{"title":"Local infiltration anesthesia does not increase infection risk after total hip arthroplasty: A single-center retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Artsiom Abialevich, Vadim Benkovich","doi":"10.1177/17571774261493863","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261493863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Local infiltration anesthesia (LIA) is commonly used in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) for multimodal pain control. This study evaluated whether periarticular LIA affects early wound complications or postoperative infection after cementless THA.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 1319 primary cementless THAs performed between 2018 and 2025, comparing LIA (<i>n</i> = 852) and no-LIA (<i>n</i> = 467) groups, performed in outpatient surgery center. Baseline, perioperative, and early postoperative outcomes were analyzed, and multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between LIA use and wound complications after adjustment for confounders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Baseline characteristics were largely comparable, although BMI and Charlson Comorbidity Index were slightly higher in the no-LIA group (both <i>p</i> < .001). Overall wound complication rates were low and similar between groups (4.46% vs 4.71%, <i>p</i> = .834), with no significant differences in prolonged drainage, hematoma, superficial infection, or 90-day readmission. No deep infection or periprosthetic joint infection occurred in either group. LIA was not independently associated with wound complications on multivariable analysis (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.48-1.48, <i>p</i> = .559), with consistent findings across obesity, diabetes, and smoking subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Periarticular local infiltration anesthesia in primary cementless THA was not associated with higher early wound complication or infection risk.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261493863"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13619980/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149081112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Symptom-based assessment during prolonged low-concentration atomization of hypochlorous acid in occupied hospital rooms: A controlled pilot study.","authors":"Mikio Takahashi, Osamu Shimooki","doi":"10.1177/17571774261493083","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261493083","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Information on health effects during prolonged low-concentration atomization of hypochlorous acid in occupied hospital rooms is limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a single-centre controlled pilot study in occupied four-bed hospital rooms. Rooms were assigned non-randomly to atomization with hypochlorous acid solution (24 enrolled patients) or tap water (16 enrolled patients). Participants and nurses conducting the symptom assessments were blinded to the atomized solution. Atomization was performed for 12 h/day over a 30-day room-level intervention period, with a target airborne available chlorine concentration of 0.02 ppm. Prespecified symptoms were assessed daily using patient self-reports and nurse observations. No objective respiratory, physiological, or toxicological measurements were performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One participant in each group died during the study period; both deaths were assessed by the investigator as unrelated to the assigned atomization intervention. The remaining 23 participants in the hypochlorous acid group and 15 in the tap-water group completed the 30-day observation period and were included in the final analysis. The measured airborne available chlorine concentration ranged from 0.02 to 0.04 ppm, with an average of approximately 0.03 ppm. No prespecified symptoms were reported by participants or observed by nurses in either group.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Under the specific conditions evaluated, no prespecified symptoms were reported or observed. However, the small sample size and absence of objective respiratory, physiological, and toxicological assessments preclude conclusions regarding safety. The study did not evaluate airborne viral concentrations, infection rates, or clinical effectiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261493083"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13615188/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149061762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managing acute respiratory infection outbreaks in care homes: A cross-sectional study of public health response across South East England.","authors":"Shyun Ping Tiong, Branagh Crealock-Ashurst, Jason Yun, Anjali Pai, Natalie Adams, Simon Ferris","doi":"10.1177/17571774261486709","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261486709","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acute respiratory infection (ARI) outbreaks in care homes remain a significant burden, especially during influenza season. Prompt public health responses and timely antiviral administration are crucial for mitigating transmission and minimising the impacts of outbreaks. This study aimed to assess the timeliness and appropriateness of the public health response to notifications of ARI in care homes during flu season, across the South East England region.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a cross-sectional study analysing ARI in care home notifications during 2024/25 Chief Medical Officer (CMO)-declared flu season. A combination of quota and random sampling was used for detailed analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to evaluate timeliness of public health response and antiviral prescribing patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the study period, 340 ARI incidents were notified among 2737 care homes, and 103 care homes were included in the detailed analysis. The median time from first symptom onset to public health notification was 4 days (IQR 3-7 days), whereas the median time from most recent reported symptom onset to public health assessment was 1 day (IQR 0-1 day), indicating a prompt public health response following outbreak notification. The median time interval from risk assessment to antiviral recommendation was the same day. Prior to public health assessment, 66/82 (80.5%) care homes reviewed by a GP had residents commenced on antibiotics, 4/82 (4.9%) on antivirals, and 7/82 (8.5%) on both antibiotics and antivirals.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings suggest that public health response following notification of ARI outbreaks in care homes was generally prompt. However, delays in outbreak recognition and notification, barriers to timely antiviral prescribing, and frequent antibiotic prescribing despite influenza-like illness criteria being met highlight the need to streamline antiviral prescribing pathways and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship in this setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261486709"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13546379/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148900745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The prevalence of measles vaccination in measles-infected healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Sujata Saha, Sumanta Saha","doi":"10.1177/17571774261462811","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261462811","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Documentable evidence of previous receipt of 2-dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV) is often sufficient as proof of measles immunity in healthcare workers (HCWs). The usefulness of this policy was assessed by estimating the global prevalences of different MCV-receipt statuses in measles infected HCWs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eligible publications since 1974 were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Pooled prevalences were estimated by prevalence meta-analysis and meta-regressed using durations since MCV inclusion in the national immunization schedule (NIS) of respective study countries to measles outbreak years as a moderator.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 7571 citations retrieved, 27 studies reporting on 1319 measles-infected HCWs aged 18-60 years (outbreak years: 1985-2019) were reviewed. Prevalences of measles-infected HCWs were- a. by MCV-receipt statuses: ≥1-dose: 41.0% (95% CI: 28.0, 55.0); ≥2-dose: 28.0% (95% CI: 11.0, 46.0); unvaccinated: 31.0% (95% CI: 17.0, 46.0); unknown: 21.0%; b. by gender: females: 65.0% (95% CI: 57.0, 72.0); males: 35.0% (95% CI: 28.0, 43.0); c. by birth year: born after MCV inclusion in NIS: 77.0% (95% CI: 66.0, 87.0) and in born before: 6.0% (95% CI: 0.0, 17.0); d. by health profession: nurses: 31.0% (95% CI: 24.0, 39.0); doctors: 27.0% (95% CI: 19.0, 36.0); students 5.0% (95% CI: 1.0, 12.0). The measles risk in ≥2-dose of MCV recipient HCWs increased with duration since MCV inclusion in NIS to outbreak occurrences (p < .05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In measles infected HCWs, as the rates of being ≥2-dose MCV recipient or unvaccinated were substantial and comparable, the role of documented 2-dose of MCV receipt alone as a proof of measles immunity remains uncertain.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261462811"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13530053/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148874296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reducing inappropriate non-sterile glove use in an acute NHS trust: A quality improvement evaluation of the Gloves Off campaign.","authors":"Harmony Owhotake, Jossy Ashlin, Stefano Oggiano, Aiden J Plant","doi":"10.1177/17571774261477840","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261477840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Inappropriate glove use can undermine hand hygiene, increase cross-transmission risk, and contribute to healthcare waste.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To evaluate a trust-wide quality improvement campaign aimed at reducing unnecessary non-sterile glove use and improving appropriateness of glove use.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multimodal intervention was implemented across an acute NHS Trust (February 2023-April 2026), including education, policy refinement, visual prompts, and audit feedback. Evaluation used a triangulated design: staff survey, statistical process control (SPC) analysis, and procurement/environmental trend data. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour (COM-B) model informed interpretation. Descriptive statistics and SPC methods were applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 123 staff responded. Mean knowledge score was 89%, with 76% scoring ≥80%; 72% reported receiving education and 75% exposure to campaign materials. Confidence was high (95.1%), but fewer (65.9%) felt comfortable challenging inappropriate practice. SPC analysis showed common-cause variation with no sustained improvement in glove use audit data. Procurement data suggested an initial reduction followed by plateau: glove use decreased from 57.24 to 49.52 per occupied bed day (difference 7.71). Waste and carbon metrics showed similar proportional reductions (∼13.5%). Due to mixed reporting periods, findings are interpreted as trend data.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The campaign achieved high knowledge and early system-level reductions but did not produce sustained behavioural change.</p><p><strong>Significance and impact: </strong>Findings suggest a ceiling effect, with residual behaviour driven by social and contextual factors. Future efforts should prioritise targeted, behaviour-focused interventions over repeated trust-wide awareness campaigns.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261477840"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13526176/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148865087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 in nursing homes: What syndromic and virological surveillance revealed about the first two epidemic waves.","authors":"Philippe Gaspard, Martin Martinot","doi":"10.1177/17571774261477859","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261477859","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nursing homes were affected by COVID-19, and limited testing capacity during the first wave highlighted the value of complementary surveillance approaches.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To characterize clinical presentations, virological findings, and mortality identified through syndromic and virological surveillance during two COVID-19 waves.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A retrospective study was conducted in 16 nursing homes in Northeastern France, including 1,493 residents monitored from February 2020 to February 2021. Residents were classified into four clinical sign patterns: combined general and respiratory signs (G and R), R only, G only, and asymptomatic positive SARS-CoV-2 tests (T+ only). Outbreaks were defined by at least three residents presenting G and R or T+ only within four consecutive days. Wave 2 analyses were conducted separately before and during immunization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Outbreak frequency and duration remained high during both epidemic waves, although smaller facilities were less likely to experience outbreaks. The proportion of residents presenting G and R declined from 62.9% during wave 1 to 53.0% and 38.9% during the pre-immunization and immunization periods, respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.001), whereas G only presentations increased. Virological testing coverage among CSPs increased from 41.0% to 84.8% and 79.2%, respectively. Estimated 8-week mortality decreased from 25.4% to 20.5% and 12.8% (<i>p</i> = 0.002). In multivariable analysis, clinical sign patterns (highest risk among G and R), older age, male sex, and not being tested were independently associated with mortality, while epidemic period was not.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings highlight the complementary value of syndromic and virological surveillance for characterizing COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261477859"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13525115/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infection-related hospital isolation and social outcomes: A systematic review of family presence, communication modalities, and patient-reported measures.","authors":"Dalibor Sedláček, Alena Lochmannová, Robin Šín, Miroslav Kubiska, Petr Simbartl, Marie Kulová","doi":"10.1177/17571774261477673","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261477673","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pathogen transmission-based precautions are essential to safe inpatient care, yet loneliness and loss of social connection carry clinical consequences.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To synthesize evidence on the association between hospital isolation and patient-reported loneliness or social connectedness, and to identify interventions and routine processes that mitigate these effects.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>We conducted a systematic review under a prespecified methodological plan and reported it according to PRISMA 2020. We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CENTRAL, Europe PMC, WHO Global Index Medicus, CINAHL and PsycINFO without design limits. Eligible designs were randomised/quasi-experimental, observational, qualitative, mixed methods and implementation. Outcomes were loneliness/connectedness and proximate processes (family presence, communication channel/cadence). We screened 717 records, assessed 18 full texts and included 16 studies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Across acute wards, adult intensive care, rehabilitation and paediatrics, isolation was associated with higher loneliness and perceived social avoidance on general wards. In intensive care and paediatrics, restricted presence disrupted connectedness, parental role and peer ties. Barrier precautions thinned spontaneous staff-patient contact and displaced key conversations to telephone/video. Interventions clustered in three families-brief education/coping supports, organized tele-visiting with scheduled video/phone, and age-appropriate digital/VR supports-with good feasibility/acceptability and improvements in patient-reported outcomes and anxiety/stress in several studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Isolation carries consistent social costs. Simple, proportionate countermeasures-shared, consistent explanations of purpose and predictable, resourced contact routines-are actionable now. Future work should test defined bundles using shared patient-reported and process outcomes in pragmatic designs.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261477673"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13525114/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857398","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can isolated negative-pressure devices reduce transmission of respiratory infection in critical care units: A laboratory-based controlled experimental observational study.","authors":"Sunit Kumar Gupta, Nidhima Aggarwal, Nisha M P, Vamshidhar Chamala, Samarjit Dey, Eeshwar M V, Sumit Bansal, Mukesh Tripathi, Jitendra Chawla","doi":"10.1177/17571774261477869","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261477869","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare workers in critical care settings are at increased risk of acquiring respiratory infections, particularly during aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs). Portable negative-pressure isolation devices have been proposed to fix airborne infection in isolation rooms.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate whether an isolated negative-pressure device reduces bacterial and fungal aerosol dispersion under controlled laboratory conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This laboratory-based controlled experimental observational study assessed aerosol containment across three techniques: (1) no cover, (2) plastic sheet canopy barrier, and (3) a portable negative-pressure isolation system. Standardized 5 mL suspensions of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Aspergillus flavus were nebulized on three separate days for each technique. Nutrient agar plates were placed and colony-forming units (CFU) were manually counted. The primary outcome was the mean CFU per technique per day. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Welch's <i>t</i>-tests (Bonferroni-corrected) was used for statistical comparison.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 36 bacterial and fungal plates were analysed. For bacterial aerosols, mean CFU was highest with no cover (535.6 ± 5.38), lower with plastic sheet canopy barrier (429.5 ± 5.41), and lowest with the negative-pressure system (217.5 ± 17.5). Differences were statistically significant (ANOVA <i>p</i> = 9.8 × 10^-8; η² = 0.995). Fungal CFU demonstrated a similar pattern with significantly lower CFU for Technique 3 compared with both other techniques (<i>p</i> < .001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The negative-pressure isolation device significantly reduced airborne dispersion of bacterial and fungal aerosols compared with plastic sheet canopy barrier methods. These findings support the use of portable negative-pressure systems to enhance aerosol containment during AGPs. Further clinical validation is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261477869"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13525102/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An exploration of nursing home staff perceptions of the impact of infection prevention and control champions in Ireland: A descriptive qualitative study.","authors":"Richard Byrne, Maura Smiddy","doi":"10.1177/17571774261477863","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261477863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for robust Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) policies and for the workforce of long-term residential care facilities (LTRCFs) to be educated and trained in IPC with support from specialists with IPC knowledge and advice. IPC champions are often put in place within LTRCFs to provide education and guidance. The aim of this study was to explore how the impact of trained IPC champions (or leads) was perceived by staff in the long-term residential care settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Purposive sampling was conducted to recruit participants from three LTRCFs located in the East of Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted amongst six participants which were then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four themes were identified via codes and sub-themes: (1) IPC Core Knowledge and Skills, (2) Point of Care Coaching and Support, (3) Practical Enablers of IPC and (4) Audit and Quality Improvement in IPC<b>.</b></p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results indicate that IPC champions make a positive impact on IPC practices and procedures in Irish LTRCFs. The identified themes and sub-themes indicate that IPC champions' roles are multi-faceted, and that they utilise several skills to ensure best IPC practices are carried out in their workplace.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261477863"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13525097/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparative life cycle assessment of the environmental impact of preoperative skin preparation, single-use applicators versus bulk antiseptic with reusable instruments.","authors":"Kinga Szalecka, Eoin Merrigan, Ryan Forrey, Vyjayanthi Kambam, Matthieu Boisson, Zeynab Yousefzadeh, Millie Calistri-Yeh, Di Lu","doi":"10.1177/17571774261450915","DOIUrl":"10.1177/17571774261450915","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Preoperative skin preparation (PSP) is a critical step of surgery to reduce bacteria on the skin that can cause infections. It is commonly believed that the reusable equipment method of PSP reduces environmental emissions relative to single-use options. However, no research comparing entire-life cycle environmental emissions associated with the two approaches exists.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted comparing PSP in a European hospital using a single-use applicator versus a reusable equipment method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings highlight the superior environmental performance of a single-use antiseptic applicator method, resulting in 49% less CO₂-eq emissions than the reusable method. Similar trends were observed across all categories: climate change, cumulative energy demand, water scarcity, resources, ecosystems, and human health. The single-use applicator had lower energy demand and higher resource efficiency. In addition, the single-use applicator was less sensitive to hospital and staff practice variability.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The study challenges the assumption that reusable systems always result in lower environmental impacts. This LCA revealed that efficient manufacturing processes, optimized use of antiseptic during procedure, and reduced energy consumption throughout the single-use method life cycle can decrease the carbon footprint. This highlights the need to scrutinize the life cycle when making comparisons as part of surgical sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":16094,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Infection Prevention","volume":" ","pages":"17571774261450915"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13236707/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148199166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}