A pilot observational study of hydrogen peroxide and alcohol for disinfection of privacy curtains contaminated by MRSA, VRE and Clostridium difficile

Privacy curtains, frequently used in hospitals to separate patient care areas may have an important role in the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. In this pilot study, we inoculated curtain swatches with suspensions of clinical specimens of meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE), and Clostridium difficile before using a gloved hand to touch the inoculated curtain swatch and transfer to clean agar plates. Three different commonly used disinfectants were then sprayed onto these swatches before using a clean gloved hand to touch the swatch and transfer onto new agar plates. All plates were incubated at 35°C for 24 and 72 h. Bacterial growth before and after disinfection was assessed and compared. 3.1% hydrogen peroxide effectively eliminated transfer of C. difficile, MRSA and VRE from inoculated curtains.