A comparison of the recoverable proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from two different types of papers

AIM Paper is used for various purposes in hospitals. Generally, there are two different types of paper, which are commonly used in our facility: wood-free paper, and paper containing wood. We compared the recoverable proportion of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; ATCC 43300) from the surface of such papers. METHOD The papers were divided into two groups: Group 1: wood-free paper; Group 2: paper containing wood. The papers were contaminated in a standardized procedure with 0.1 mL of a 5×10(7) CFU MRSA/mL stock solution. RESULTS The recoverable proportion of MRSA was higher in the wood-containing papers than in the papers without wood (P=0.043). CONCLUSION This study indicates that if paper is purchased for healthcare facilities it should not contain wood, but rather wood-free paper types should be considered.