Pneumatic tube systems (PTSs) are useful features in hospitals for efficient transport of items but further scrutiny reveals their potential risks. We investigated the extent of contamination of pods, used within the PTS with specific alert organisms, namely meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE). Results revealed contamination with VRE (53%) and MRSA (3%), which were reduced to only 3% (VRE) and 0% (MRSA) following disinfection. However recontamination occurred quickly following use. Our findings indicate that PTS could be an efficient method of transfer of potential pathogens around the hospital.

中文翻译：

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气管的危险：您的豆荚有多干净？

气动管系统（PTS）在医院中是有用的功能，可以有效地运输物品，但进一步的审查显示出它们的潜在风险。我们调查了在PTS中使用的豆荚受特定警报生物污染的程度，这些生物是耐甲氧西林的金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA），耐万古霉素的肠球菌（VRE）和产生碳青霉烯酶的肠杆菌（CPE）。结果显示，VRE（53％）和MRSA（3％）被污染，消毒后减少到仅3％（VRE）和0％（MRSA）。但是，使用后很快就发生了重新污染。我们的发现表明，PTS可能是在医院内转移潜在病原体的有效方法。