Application of the forensic Luminol for blood in infection control.

Transmission of hepatitis C virus occurs frequently in haemodialysis units. A possible route of transmission is indirectly via the hospital environment although this has never been recorded. We investigated the haemodialysis unit in Deventer Hospital, Deventer, The Netherlands, with the forensic Luminol test. With this test, invisible traces of blood can be visualised based on the principle of biochemiluminescence. We demonstrated extensive contamination of the environment with traces of blood. The aim of this article is to introduce this method to infection control professionals, so it can be used to monitor cleaning and disinfection procedures, and alert healthcare workers to the possibility of contamination of the hospital environment with blood.