Using a plastic sheet to prevent the risk of contamination of the burn wound during the shower

The shower technique for hydrotherapy was used in the treatment of the burn patients in our burn center. Before showering, the shower trolley (stretcher) was draped with a sterilized disposable plastic sheet to decrease the potential for seeding surface bacteria to open burn wounds. The patients were washed on the draped shower trolley. Samples for culture were taken from the surface of the shower trolley (stretcher) before it was draped with the sterilized disposable plastic sheet following the treatment of a patient. The samples were taken once a week for the first 6 months and only once a month for the last 42 months. At the period of 48 months (4 years), a total of 67 samples were obtained. Results Of Cultures of all the samples were negative. No patients were contaminated from the surface of the shower trolley during the shower. The use of the sterilized disposable plastic sheet proved to be a most effective procedure to decrease the risk of contamination between patients during the shower. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.