Reduced rate of intensive care unit acquired gram-negative bacilli after removal of sinks and introduction of 'water-free' patient care

Background: Sinks in patient rooms are associated with hospital-acquired infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of removal of sinks from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patient rooms and the introduction of 'water-free' patient care on gram-negative bacilli colonization rates. Methods: We conducted a 2-year pre/post quasi-experimental study that compared monthly gram-negative bacilli colonization rates pre-and post-intervention using segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series data. Five ICUs of a tertiary care medical center were included. Participants were all patients of 18 years and older admitted to our ICUs for at least 48 h who also received selective digestive tract decontamination during the twelve month pre-intervention or the twelve month post-intervention period. The effect of sink removal and the introduction of 'water-free' patient care on colonization rates with gram-negative bacilli was evaluated. The main outcome of this study was the monthly colonization rate with gram-negative bacilli (GNB). Yeast colonization rates were used as a 'negative control'. In addition, colonization rates were calculated for first positive culture results from cultures taken >= 3, >= 5, >= 7, >= 10 and >= 14 days after ICU-admission, rate ratios (RR) were calculated and differences tested with chi-squared tests. Results: In the pre-intervention period, 1496 patients (9153 admission days) and in the post-intervention period 1444 patients (9044 admission days) were included. Segmented regression analysis showed that the intervention was followed by a statistically significant immediate reduction in GNB colonization in absence of a pre or post intervention trend in GNB colonization. The overall GNB colonization rate dropped from 26.3 to 21.6 GNB/1000 ICU admission days (colonization rate ratio 0.82; 95%CI 0.67-0.99; P = 0.02). The reduction in GNB colonization rate became more pronounced in patients with a longer ICU-Length of Stay (LOS): from a 1.22-fold reduction (= 2 days), to a 1.6-fold (>= 5 days; P = 0.002), 2.5-fold (for >= 10 days; P < 0.001) to a 3.6-fold ( >= 14 days; P < 0.001) reduction. Conclusions: Removal of sinks from patient rooms and introduction of a method of 'water-free' patient care is associated with a significant reduction of patient colonization with GNB, especially in patients with a longer ICU length of stay.