Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
Volume 7, Issue 1 , Pages 34-38 , March 2008

Cloth-covered chiropractic treatment tables as a source of allergens and pathogenic microbes

  • Marion W. Evans Jr., DC, PhD, CHES

      Affiliations

    • Director, Health Promotion Degree Programs, Cleveland Chiropractic College, Kansas City, MO 64131
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Health Promotion Degree Programs, Cleveland Chiropractic College, 6401 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64131, USA. Tel.: +1 816 501 0108; fax: +1 816 501 0221.
    • ,
  • Alan Campbell, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, Microbiology, Parker College of Chiropractic, Dallas, TX 75229
    • ,
  • Chris Husbands, BAAS

      Affiliations

    • Laboratory Manager, Pathological-Physiological Sciences, Parker College of Chiropractic, Dallas, TX
    • ,
  • Jennell Breshears, DC

      Affiliations

    • Assistant Professor, Parker College of Chiropractic Research Institute, Dallas, TX
    • ,
  • Harrison Ndetan, MS

      Affiliations

    • Research Associate, Parker Research Institute, Dallas, TX
    • ,
  • Ronald Rupert, MS, DC

      Affiliations

    • Dean of Research, Parker College of Chiropractic Research Institute, Dallas, TX

Received 27 August 2007 ,Revised 5 October 2007 ,Accepted 29 October 2007.

References 

  1. Eisenberg DM, Davis RB, Ettner SL, Appel S, Wilkey S, Van Rompay M, et al. Trends in alternative medicine use in the United States 1990-1997: results of a follow-up national survey. JAMA. 1998;280:1569–1575
  2. Meeker WC, Haldeman S. Chiropractic: a profession at the crossroads of mainstream and alternative medicine. Ann Intern Med. 2002;136:216–227
  3. Bifero A, Prakash J, Bergin J. The role of chiropractic adjusting tables as reservoirs for microbial disease. Am J Infect Control. 2006;34:155–157
  4. Evans MW, Breshears J, Campbell A, Husbands C, Rupert R. Assessment and risk reduction of infectious pathogens on chiropractic treatment tables. Chiropr Osteopathy. 2007;15:8
  5. Noskin GA, Bednarz P, Suriano T, Reiner S, Peterson LR. Persistent contamination of fabric-covered furniture by vancomycin-resistant enterococci: implications for upholstery selection in hospitals. Am J Infection Control. 2000;28:311–313
  6. Boyce JM, Pittet D, Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Forcec. Guideline for hand hygiene in health care settings: recommendations of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee and the HICPAC/SHEA/APIC/IDSA Hand Hygiene Task Force. Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Association for Professionals in Infection Control/Diseases Society of America. MMWR Recomm Rep 2002;51(RR-16):1-45. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene.
  7. Salemi C, Canola MT, Eck EK. Hand washing and physicians: how to get them together. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2002;23:32–35
  8. Lankford MG, Zembower TR, Trick WE, Hacek DM, Noskin GA, Peterson LR. Influence of role models and hospital design on hand hygiene of health care workers. Emerg Infect Dis. 2003;9:217–223
  9. Evans MW, Breshears J. Attitudes and behaviors of chiropractic college students on hand sanitizing and treatment table disinfection: results of initial survey and focus group. J Am Chiropr Assoc. 2007;44(4):13–23
  10. Flayhart D, Hindler JF, Bruckner DA, Hall G, et al. Multi-center evaluation of BBL CHROMagar MRSA medium for direct detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from surveillance cultures of the anterior nares. J Clin Microbiol. 2005;43:5536–5540
  11. Crawford B, Cameron M. Risk prevention strategies and infection control for chiropractors and osteopaths-part II. General prevention of infectious disease. In:  French S editors. Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia: Risk Management Program II Edited by: French S. Victoria, Australia: Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia; 2003;p. 33–36

☆ Funding for this project was provided by Parker Chiropractic Research Institute, and none of the authors notes a conflict of interest.

PII: S0899-3467(08)00006-2

doi: 10.1016/j.jcme.2007.10.003

Journal of Chiropractic Medicine
Volume 7, Issue 1 , Pages 34-38 , March 2008

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