SARS-CoV-2 could be spread through hospital medication dispensed to patients
Grau, Santiago (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
Ferrández, Olivia (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques)
Echeverría-Esnal, Daniel (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques)
Maldonado, Rafael 1961- (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques)
Puig, Berta (Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya (Barcelona))
Ramirez, Aida (Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya (Barcelona))
Canal, Mireia (Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya (Barcelona))
Montero, Albert (Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Catalunya))
González, Cristina (Parc de Salut MAR de Barcelona)
Herranz, Milagros (Parc de Salut MAR de Barcelona)
Masclans, Joan R. (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques)
Horcajada, Juan Pablo (Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Catalunya))
Padilla León, Eduardo (Laboratori de Referència de Catalunya (Barcelona))

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Our objective was to analyze in vitro the persistence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the packaging material of the drugs dispensed to hospital wards. Additionally, to evaluate if the protection with a double plastic bag prevents the contamination of the medication dispensed to an intensive care unit (ICU). On the first part, different materials containing different drugs within an ICU were sampled to confirm the lack of contamination by SARS-CoV-2. The confirmation of the virus was performed using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. As a control group, in the microbiology laboratory we inoculated the virus into the different surfaces containing the same drugs included in the first part. Samples were obtained with a sterile swab at 3, 6, 8, 10, 14, 21, and 30 days after inoculation and analyzed through real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. None of the studied materials containing the drugs within an ICU was contaminated by SARS-CoV-2. In the second part, SARS-CoV-2 was found in all surfaces for up to 30 days. The use of double-bag unit-dose system to deliver medication in a pandemic seems effective to prevent the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2. A striking SARS-CoV-2 RNA stability of up to 30 days was found in the surfaces containing the drugs.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Contamination ; Drugs ; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 ; Surfaces
Published in:	Medicine, Vol. 100 (november 2021) , ISSN 1536-5964

DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000027592
PMID: 34766561

5 p, 208.5 KB

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