Effects of bathing on Pseudomonas and Klebsiella colonization in patients with spinal cord injuries

Abstract

This study of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumonia colonization in humans with spinal cord injuries who were using the external urinary collection system showed that meticulous bathing with the bar soap issued by the hospital did not eliminate colonization (in the urethra, perineum or rectum) and was frequently associated with the shifting of these bacteria to adjacent sites on the body. Bacterial counts of the skin showed that bathing did reduce the numbers of P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae found on the skin surface and temporarily eliminated these bacteria from some sites. The persistence of these organisms for long periods, even when patients were meticulously bathed, indicates that P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae may become part of the resident flora in these patients. This persistence of these organisms may be a health threat to other patients.