This question arose while designing healthcare facilities in the Middle East, but the question is applicable in many regions. In some countries it seems common to use a spray wand (a.k.a. ablution hose or health faucet) after toileting. This seems to me that the water spray could cause increased growth and spreading of pathogens. However, I have not found much objective evidence on the issue.
Other methods of washing are toilet paper, free-standing bidets, and integrated spray jets in the toilet seat. The preferred method appears to be culturally driven.
Hi,
Your question: Is there a proven relationship between the spread of infection and the method of personal cleansing after toileting?
Kindly see the following article, you will get some idea.
http://www.hpsc.ie/A-Z/MicrobiologyAntimicrobialResistance/InfectionControlandHAI/Factsheet/File,13739,en.pdf
Hi,
Kindly see this links also. Its very helpful to you.
http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laninf/PIIS1473309902001846.pdf
http://www.cochranelibrary.com/userfiles/ccoch/file/Water%20safety/CD004265.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3075961/
http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=189&printable=1
http://www.ndsu.edu/ndsu/aging/caregiver/pdf/pct/module.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/giardia/prevent.html
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/hygiene/emergencies/envsanfactsheets/en/index2.html
http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/141104/srep06909/full/srep06909.html
Hi Senthilvel,
Thank you for the informative links. After reviewing them, it doesn't appear that the articles addressed the question at hand. It is clear that hygiene, washing, clean water, etc. are important for infection control. My question is specifically if there are differences in spreading infection between the methods of using toilet paper, a bidet, or a spray hose.
If you are aware of articles addressing this specific topic I would appreciate it. Further, it would be great to hear your own opinion as well.
Hey Mike. It may be a question of the relative importance of self-cleaning (toilet paper/bidets/wands), the method of feces elimination (aerosolization by flush toilets for example) and post elimination cleaning (hand washing etc.) to infection risk/surface contamination.
Most literature I've seen along these lines is about aerosolization by flush toilets and I've not seen comparisons of self-cleaning methods and their relative contamination risk.
You might ask Marco Verani, who's on ResearchGate, if he's aware of anything (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marco_Verani). He recently published a paper on the effects of toilet aerosolization in health care settings "Viral contamination of aerosol and surfaces through toilet use in health care and other settings." PMID: 24818773
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