Routine environmental surface sampling may be beneficial in addition to routine water sampling if seeking to determine the extent of environmental contamination.  

Knowledge of environmental sources of contamination can support development of measures to prevent transmission from those sources to patients.

Environmental sources include any sites that are exposed to water.

• When deciding on the need for, and frequency of, routine environmental surface sampling, past incidents or outbreaks may help identify specific locations within the healthcare facility where contamination was previously detected or where relevant patient colonisations and infections occurred. This information allows for targeted sampling in areas that may pose a higher risk of transmission.

Environmental surface sampling can also be used to measure the effectiveness of any decontamination methods in use.

See 4.1.9 incident investigation for information on environmental surface sampling in response to clinical cases.

Actions following environmental surface sampling results 

• Results interpretation should be undertaken by the ICD/microbiologist/IMT. 

• Results may indicate the need to implement or strengthen control measures for example cleaning, decontamination, replacement of equipment/fixtures, and change to clinical practice/patient care.