Bacterial Contaminants and their Antimicrobial Profile from Hospital Surfaces and Equipments of Various Areas in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Gujarat, India

Abstract

Introduction: Nosocomial infection is an important concern for healthcare professional in tertiary care centre as they have significant negative impact on patient’s recovery as well as mortality and morbidity. These infections are mostly acquired through contaminated areas of hospitals. Aims: To access the bacteriological profile of various hospital surfaces and equipments those are exposed to patient in routine clinical care. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in tertiary care centre in north Gujarat region, India over the duration of one month in October 2021. Swabs from surfaces were collected using aseptic precautions for aerobic culture. Microorganism isolated from samples were subjected to identification and antibiotic sensitivity tests. Frequency and distribution of microorganisms were analysed according to different working areas in hospital. Results: Out of 494 samples, total 171 samples (34.61%) showed bacterial growth, of which 186 different organisms were isolated. Highest number of isolates were Bacillus spp. (28.49%), Staphylococcus aureus (12.90%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (9.14%), Klebsiella spp. (7.53%) and Acinetobacter spp. (7.53%). Conclusion: Various surface areas in hospital always need a constant surveillance as they are found contaminated in various studies across the globe. So, intermittent microbiological surveillance is must in a tertiary care hospital in setting up infection control protocol.