Bacterial contamination of catheter tips and blood culture of a veterinary hospital

Abstract

Hospital infections have a great importance in unique health, especially when one takes into account that the bacteria that cause these infections can be multidrug resistant, an entry path for these microorganisms can be the peripheral venous catheter used, primarily, to maintain the patients hydration. The objective of this work was to detect bacterial contamination and identify the microorganisms involved through blood culture and culture of peripheral venous catheters used by dogs in four different sectors of a Veterinary Hospital. 21 dogs were selected, without differentiation between age or race, and 21 of them had their blood samples collected and 21 samples of catheter tip used by them. The samples were differentiated and identified by biochemical tests and separated into Gram-Negative bacilli, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. Among the 42 samples, there was no growth in 59.52% (25) of them, in 26.19% (11) of the samples, there was growth of Gram-Negative Bacilli, 11.90% (05) were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., and 2.39% (01) were Streptococcus sp. This work shows that there should be concern about contamination that may be present in catheters or hospital probes that may cause serious infections in animals or humans.