Scissors: a potential source of nosocomial infection.

This point-prevalence survey of healthcare workers' scissors demonstrates that of 232 scissors sampled, 182 (78.4%) were colonized with bacteria. The scissors of nurses and those for communal use were most frequently contaminated. Cleaning of scissors occurred infrequently, but wiping scissors with an alcohol swab effectively disinfected them. The suspicion that scissors may harbor and potentially transmit microorganisms, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria, has been confirmed.