Patient safety alert: risk from non-sterile alcohol-free skin cleansing wipes
Please be aware that we have received a national patient safety alert regarding the use of non-sterile, alcohol-free skin cleansing wipes.
Wipes not marked as sterile may present a risk and should not be used for:
- Cleaning intravascular devices
- Caring for broken skin, including wounds
Advice:
- Patients with intravascular devices should only use wipes if specifically advised by their clinical team.
- All patients should be advised to use only sterile wipes on broken skin or wounds.
These non-sterile wipes may be found in wound care kits and first aid kits.
There are currently 48 confirmed cases of Burkholderia stabilis linked to the use of these wipes. Burkholderia stabilis are opportunistic pathogens that rarely cause infection in healthy individuals but can lead to severe infection in some groups.
Please see the attached alert for more information. We will share further updates as they become available. If you have any concerns or need further information, please contact the infection prevention and control team at: DCHST.infectioncontrol@nhs.net