Unusual sources of hospital-acquired infections in intensive care units and operating rooms at Tanta University Educational Hospital

Abstract

Background Fomites can serve as a vehicle in transmission of health care-associated pathogens especially in intensive care units (ICUs) and operating rooms (ORs) where the patients are immunocompromised and at high risk of acquiring multidrug-resistant bacteria. Aim To assess bacterial contamination on inanimate surfaces and equipment in ICUs and ORs at Tanta University Educational Hospital to detect the potential reservoirs of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) and to give appropriate recommendations for corrective actions. Materials and methods The samples were collected in sterile nutrient broth and incubated for 24 h. The isolation and identification of pathogenic bacteria were done through standard microbiological methods. Antibiotic susceptibility tests of the isolates were assessed by disc diffusion method. Results The contamination levels from group I (hospital samples) and group II (control samples) were 88.3% and 84%, respectively. In group I, Gram-negative bacilli were the most frequent isolates followed by Gram-positive cocci then Gram-positive bacilli, fungi, and lastly Gram-negative cocci that represented 35.7%, 34.4%, 25.9%, 3.2%, and 0.8%, respectively. In group II, all bacterial isolates were Gram-positive bacilli that represented 100%. Conclusion The presence of potential pathogenic-resistant bacteria on inanimate surfaces in hospital is of great health concern and these surfaces can serve as sources of HAIs.