Reusable venesection tourniquets: a potential source of hospital transmission of multiresistant organisms.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of multiresistant organism (MRO) colonisation of reusable venesection tourniquets. DESIGN AND SETTING A prospective study in a tertiary hospital to collect and analyse reusable venesection tourniquets for the presence of MROs - methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), and extended-spectrum β-lactamase and metallo-β-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae - using a sensitive enrichment method. Tourniquets were collected and tested during a 10-week period between September and November 2010. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Prevalence of MRO colonisation of tourniquets. RESULTS The overall colonisation rate of 100 tourniquets randomly collected from general wards, ambulatory care areas and critical care areas was 78%. MROs were isolated from 25 tourniquets collected from a variety of hospital locations, including general wards, the intensive care unit, burns unit and anaesthetic bay. MRSA was isolated from 14 tourniquets and VRE from 19; both MRSA and VRE were isolated from nine tourniquets. There were no microorganisms isolated from 22 tourniquets. CONCLUSION Reusable tourniquets can be colonised with MROs and may be a potential source of transmission of MROs to hospitalised patients.