Philippine E-Journals

Colony Forming Units of Skin Bacterial Isolates Before and After the Use of Blood Pressure Cuffs: A Basis for Cleaning Procedures on Blood Pressures Cuffs

Abbadon Abyss V. Fegarido | Jeffrey James C. Largoza

Discipline: Nursing, Medicine

 

Abstract:

This study aims to determine whether blood pressure cuffs may serve as a medium of bacteria transmission. The researchers conducted the specimen collection at the Medical Ward and Obstetric Ward of Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital. Specimens were collected via Swab Method before and after the use of the blood pressure cuff and were processed through the Dilution Method. The colony forming units (CFU) of bacteria present on skin were counted, calculated and tabulated. The results conveyed that 20 (66.67%) out of 30 participants had an increase in bacterial CFU after contact with blood pressure cuff – an increase as high as 49150 CFU/mL was counted, thus stressing the crucial importance of the administration of cleaning procedures on blood pressure cuffs as an infection control measure.