Examining food, water and environmental samples from healthcare environments

Synopsis

The microbiological examination of food, water and environmental samples from the healthcare environment has a recognised role in the routine monitoring of decontamination procedures and the demonstration of a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff. Individual guidance documents covering sampling and testing requirements in a range of healthcare environments (such as endoscopy departments, pharmacy sterile suites and hydrotherapy pools) have been published. Although many of these documents are freely available on the internet, they vary in the amount of detail provided. In some cases, particularly with respect to environmental monitoring, no clear guidance has been published. This document aims to summarise the available legislation and guidance for microbiologists and infection control nurses working within healthcare settings and to provide additional clarification and guidance on sampling and result interpretation where these are currently lacking. Since the use of suitable procedures and equipment is essential in order to be able to carry out the appropriate microbiological analyses on a sample and provide a meaningful interpretation of test results, general procedures for collecting food, water, air and environmental samples are also described.

Minor corrections to references, July 2011.

Last reviewed: 21 July 2011