The bacterial profile and sensitivity patterns of isolates from medical equipment and surfaces in the Children’s emergency room of a Nigerian hospital

Abstract

Objective: Nosocomial infections are those acquired in hospitals or healthcare service units that first appear 48 hours or more after admission or within 30 days after discharge following in-patient care. Knowledge of the bacterial profile and sensitivity patterns of any hospital environment is a key factor in infection control and good antibiotic stewardship.
 Material and Methods: This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Children’s Emergency Room (CHER) of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. Samples for culture were collected from equipment and hospital surfaces. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined for each isolate by the Agar diffusion method using Standard Nutrient Agar 1 discs.
 Results: Bacterial growth was observed in 83 (70.3%) specimens. Staphylococcus aureus (53.4%) was the most common isolate cultured followed by Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (18.8%), then Escherichia coli (13.9%). Among Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 25.9% were MRSA. Ampicillin resistance of the gram negatives was high. All the Gram-negative isolates were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone.
 Conclusion: Staphylococcus aureus, Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, and Escherichia coli were the commonest isolates. More efforts are needed to ensure improved hygiene standards in order to reduce the burden of nosocomial infections.