Duke Study: Foamed Disinfectant Reduces Pathogen Contamination in Hospital Sinks
A Duke-led randomized controlled trial finds that applying foamed disinfectant to hospital sink drains three times weekly significantly reduces dangerous pathogen contamination, with PreMiEr researchers Claudia Gunsch and Deverick Anderson among the co-authors.
A randomized controlled trial led by researchers at Duke University Medical Center found that applying a hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid foamed disinfectant to hospital sink drains three times per week significantly reduced and delayed colonization by dangerous, multidrug-resistant pathogens. Conducted across 30 in-room sinks in a newly renovated hospital unit over 35 weeks, the study showed that regular foam disinfection can help mitigate hospital sinks as reservoirs for organisms like Pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales. Co-authors include PreMiEr Director Claudia Gunsch and PreMiEr researcher Deverick Anderson. The study was published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.