Sphygmomanometer cuffs: a potential source of infection!

We evaluated the potential pathogenic hazard of sphygmomanometer blood pressure cuffs (BPCs) in a hospital setting. Prospectively, the presence of bacterial organisms on 120 BPCs in 14 medical wards and outpatient clinics in a district general hospital in London was assessed. Swabs taken from the inner aspect of the cuffs were cultured using standard microbiological techniques. Bacterial organisms were found in 85% (102) of the 120 BPCs assessed. The highest rates of contamination were found in the outpatients department (90%). There were differences in the most common bacterial species isolated between the samples obtained from the outpatient clinics and the wards, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and diphtheroids being the most prevalent species in the wards and outpatient clinics, respectively. These findings highlight the necessity to eliminate this potential risk of infection.