Risk Of Healthcare-associated Infections Research Articles

Self-Disinfecting Copper Beds Sustain Terminal Cleaning and Disinfection Effects throughout Patient Care.

Microbial burden associated with near-patient touch surfaces results in a greater risk of health care-associated infections (HAIs). Acute care beds may be a critical fomite, as traditional plastic surfaces harbor the highest concentrations of bacteria associated with high-touch surfaces in a hospital room's patient zone. Five high-touch intensive care unit (ICU) bed surfaces encountered by patients, health care workers, and visitors were monitored by routine culture to assess the effect U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA)-registered antimicrobial copper materials have on the microbial burden. Despite both daily and discharge cleaning and disinfection, each control bed's plastic surfaces exceeded bacterial concentrations recommended subsequent to terminal cleaning and disinfection (TC&D) of 2.5 aerobic CFU/cm2 Beds with self-disinfecting (copper) surfaces harbored significantly fewer bacteria throughout the patient stay than control beds, at levels below those considered to increase the likelihood of HAIs. With adherence to routine daily and terminal cleaning regimes throughout the study, the copper alloy surfaces neither tarnished nor required additional cleaning or special maintenance. Beds encapsulated with U.S. EPA-registered antimicrobial copper materials were found to sustain the microbial burden below the TC&D risk threshold levels throughout the patient stay, suggesting that outfitting acute care beds with such materials may be an important supplement to controlling the concentration of infectious agents and thereby potentially reducing the overall HAI risk.IMPORTANCE Despite cleaning efforts of environmental service teams and substantial compliance with hand hygiene best practices, the microbial burden in patient care settings often exceeds concentrations at which transfer to patients represents a substantial acquisition risk for health care-associated infections (HAIs). Approaches to limit HAI risk have relied on designing health care equipment and furnishings that are easier to clean and/or the use of no-touch disinfection interventions such as germicidal UV irradiation or vapor deposition of hydrogen peroxide. In a clinical trial evaluating the largest fomite in the patient care setting, the bed, a bed was encapsulated with continuously disinfecting antimicrobial copper surfaces, which reduced the bacteria on surfaces by 94% and sustained the microbial burden below the terminal cleaning and disinfection risk threshold throughout the patient's stay. Such an intervention, which continuously limits microbes on high-touch surfaces, should be studied in a broader range of health care settings to determine its potential long-range efficacy for reducing HAI.

Can educational speech intervention improve visitors' hand hygiene compliance?

Hand hygiene, a simple and low-cost measure, remains the leading intervention for reducing the burden related to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). While many interventions have been tested to improve staff hand hygiene compliance, hospital visitors continue to have low compliance rates, which increases the risk of HAIs and resistant organisms' transmission into hospitals and out to the community. To assess the effectiveness of educational speech intervention (ESI) for increasing hand hygiene compliance rate among hospital visitors. This interventional study was conducted from March to June 2019 in an inpatient unit of a large academic hospital. Visitor hand hygiene compliance was observed before and after implementation of ESI. The purpose of providing ESI to the visitors in the intervention phase was to remind them about the importance of hand hygiene and the proper method for cleaning hands. Post-intervention data were collected using the survey questionnaires. Unpaired t-test compared the hand hygiene compliance rate before and after the intervention. Baseline hand hygiene compliance rate was 9.73% while hand hygiene compliance rate post-intervention increased to 87.06% (P<0.001). Barriers to hand hygiene compliance included occupied hands, improper location of hand hygiene supplies, and past habit of not practising hand hygiene. Visitors preferred to be reminded about hand hygiene by verbal reminder (57%), followed by signage (38%), and wristband notices (5%). The ESI substantially increased visitors' hand hygiene compliance rate. Further studies are warranted to assess the sustainability of ESI and address other barriers to visitors' hand hygiene compliance.

Approaches for Characterizing Surfaces Damaged by Disinfection in Healthcare

Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and occur in many healthcare facilities including hospitals, surgery centers and long-term care facilities. It is well known that some pathogens can persist on healthcare surfaces for weeks to months and spread readily to new surfaces. It is current practice to disinfect or clean surfaces routinely in order to reduce the risk of HAIs. However, routine cleaning can damage the surface chemically or mechanically, which may actually increase the surface contamination. Fundamental knowledge is therefore needed to understand the influence of cleaning and disinfection on healthcare surfaces in order to mitigate pathogen persistence. In this study, materials and objects found in healthcare facilities were selected and exposed to disinfection procedures including wiping and soaking with readily available chemical disinfectants. A variety of chemical disinfectants were selected which contain hydrogen peroxide, quaternary ammonia, and chlorine, respectively. Optical microscopy, contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and nanoindentation are used to analyze surface characteristics before and after disinfection in order to study the effect of disinfection on material properties. Disinfection procedures are found to cause changes to surface properties of materials and objects which can be detected and observed or quantified by the approaches used in this study. The methods should become regular practice in the studies of healthcare surfaces and their role in HAIs. Each method in this study may not be reliably applied to every object or disinfection scenario. Sample geometry and features may influence response during measurement and affect results. The combination of the approaches is able to sufficiently characterize chemical, mechanical, and topological changes to the surface.

White coat wearing and laundering frequency among internal medicine department physicians

Self-reported awareness of recommendations by the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America on white coat laundering remains low (21%) among physicians from the internal medicine department. Factors such as modifying the laundry schedule of the hospital and personalization of white coats can be considered by hospitals to increase adherence to such recommendations to decrease the risk of health care-associated infection and may also improve professional appearance.

Effectiveness of autoclaving in sterilizing reusable medical devices in healthcare facilities.

Medical devices are sterilized before being used for invasive clinical procedures such as surgery, to prevent pathogen transfer. Failure to sterilize medical devices properly presents a risk of healthcare-associated infections. Studies and reports have indicated that inadequately sterilized medical devices are one of the causes of a higher rate of healthcare-associated infections in developing countries. Steam sterilization (autoclaving) is the most widely used method for sterilization and is considered the most robust and cost-effective method for sterilization of medical devices. The effectiveness of steam sterilization can be measured using biological indicators. A literature search was undertaken to understand the effectiveness of autoclaving in sterilizing reusable medical devices in healthcare facilities across the globe. Studies using biological indicators for measuring the effectiveness of autoclaving were obtained. Failures of steam sterilization practices were identified and discussed as a means of identifying factors that might be associated with the ineffectiveness of steam sterilization practices between different countries. The number of studies measuring the effectiveness of steam sterilization is small, and few evaluate the effectiveness of steam sterilization specifically in developing countries. There are fewer studies on higher level healthcare facilities than dental facilities. More evidence about the effectiveness of autoclaving in healthcare facilities is needed to draw firm conclusions, but the data suggest that there are inadequacies in autoclave procedures and operator education.

Systems Modeling Approach for Reducing the Risk of Healthcare-Associated Infections.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a major cause of concern because of the high levels of associated morbidity, mortality, and cost. In addition, children and intensive care unit (ICU) patients are more vulnerable to these infections due to low levels of immunity. Various medical interventions and statistical process control techniques have been suggested to counter the spread of these infections and aid early detection of an infection outbreak. Methods such as hand hygiene help in the prevention of HAIs and are well-documented in the literature. This chapter demonstrates the utilization of a systems methodology to model and validate factors that contribute to the risk of HAIs in a pediatric ICU. It proposes an approach that has three unique aspects: it studies the problem of HAIs as a whole by focusing on several HAIs instead of a single type, it projects the effects of interventions onto the general patient population using the system-level model, and it studies both medical and behavioral interventions and compares their effectiveness. This methodology uses a systems modeling framework that includes simulation, risk analysis, and statistical techniques for studying interventions to reduce the transmission likelihood of HAIs.

1200. Parent Perspectives on Infection Prevention and Control in the NICU

BackgroundInfants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are at high risk for healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) due to their immature immune systems and need for invasive devices. Parents have frequent contact with their infants and present an opportunity for prevention practices. The objective of this study was to evaluate parental opinions related to infection prevention and control (IPAC) in the NICU.MethodsAn online survey was sent to a network of 2,000 parents from the Canadian Premature Babies Foundation. The survey included questions about patient-centered outcomes, IPAC practices experienced during their infants’ NICU admission, and specifically, opinions regarding nonsterile glove use by both healthcare workers (HCWs) and parents.ResultsA total of 72 parents responded to the survey. The majority were parents of infants born at less than 37 weeks (94%) and had been admitted to an NICU after 2010 (89%). When asked about preventing infections in the NICU, 82% of parents indicated they had been given information on how the NICU prevents infection and 96% had been told how they can prevent infection in their infant (Table 1). The most common information was related to hand hygiene (96%) and what to do if they were unwell (89%). Opportunities for improvement included being bare below the elbow, nail care, and feeding human milk. With respect to IPAC outcomes of interest, 96% agreed that it was important to study interventions to reduce bloodstream infections (BSIs). Other outcomes of interest (Table 2) included necrotizing enterocolitis (72%), antibiotic-resistant organism acquisition (69%), and length of stay (67%). With respect to glove use, 89% of parents felt that it was acceptable for HCWs to wear gloves when caring for their infant. Only 37% of parents indicated that they would want to wear gloves if HCWs were wearing gloves, but 47% would consider wearing gloves if there was evidence that it reduced infection in their infant.ConclusionReducing infections, specifically BSIs, in infants admitted to the NICU is an outcome of interest for parents. Nonsterile gloving by HCWs is considered an acceptable strategy by parents to reduce infections. Missed opportunities exist for the education of parents in the NICU on IPAC practices. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

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Healthcare-Associated Infections: Not Only a Clinical Burden, But a Forensic Point of View.

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) occur when patients receiving treatment in a health care setting develop an infection. They represent a major public health problem, requiring the integration of clinical medicine, pathology, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, and, finally, forensic medicine. The determination of cause of death is fundamental not only in the cases of presumed malpractice to ascertain the causal link with any negligent behavior both of health facilities and of individual professionals, but also for epidemiological purposes since it may help to know the global burden of HCAIs, that remains undetermined because of the difficulty of gathering reliable diagnostic data. A complete methodological approach, integrating clinical data by means of autopsy and histological and laboratory findings aiming to identify and demonstrate the host response to infectious insult, is mandatory in HCAIs related deaths. Important tasks for forensic specialists in hospitals and health services centers are the promotion of transparency and open communication by health-care workers on the risk of HCAIs, thus facilitating patients' engagement and the implementation of educational interventions for professionals aimed to improve their knowledge and adherence to prevention and control measures. HCAIs are a major problem for patient safety in every health-care facility and system around the world and their control and prevention represent a challenging priority for healthcare institution and workers committed to making healthcare safer. Clinicians are at the forefront in the war against HCAIs, however, also forensic pathologists have a remarkable role.

An interactive nomogram to predict healthcare-associated infections in ICU patients: A multicenter study in GuiZhou Province, China.

ObjectiveTo develop and validate an interactive nomogram to predict healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) in the intensive care unit (ICU).MethodsA multicenter retrospective study was conducted to review 2017 data from six hospitals in Guizhou Province, China. A total of 1,782 ICU inpatients were divided into either a training set (n = 1,189) or a validation set (n = 593). The patients’ demographic characteristics, basic clinical features from the previous admission, and their need for bacterial culture during the current admission were extracted from electronic medical records of the hospitals to predict HCAI. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to identify independent risk factors of HCAI in the training set. The multivariable model’s performance was evaluated in both the training set and the validation set, and an interactive nomogram was constructed according to multivariable regression model. Moreover, the interactive nomogram was used to predict the possibility of a patient developing an HCAI based on their prior admission data. Finally, the clinical usefulness of the interactive nomogram was estimated by decision analysis using the entire dataset.ResultsThe nomogram model included factor development (local economic development levels), length of stay (LOS; days of hospital stay), fever (days of persistent fever), diabetes (history of diabetes), cancer (history of cancer) and culture (the need for bacterial culture). The model showed good calibration and discrimination in the training set [area under the curve (AUC), 0.871; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.848–0.894] and in the validation set (AUC, 0.862; 95% CI, 0.829–0.895). The decision curve demonstrated the clinical usefulness of our interactive nomogram.ConclusionsThe developed interactive nomogram is a simple and practical instrument for quantifying the individual risk of HCAI and promptly identifying high-risk patients.

Efficiency of Epidemiological Monitoring in Prevention of Helhcare-Associated Infections

Relevance Epidemiological safety in maternity houses is an essential component of ensuring the quality of medical care. Epidemiological monitoring is a modern technology to identify the potential risk of healthcare-associated infections. Aims The effectiveness of epidemiological monitoring in the system of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) prevention was performed. Materials &amp; Methods , 1188 newborns in maternity house were under epidemiological observation. The effectiveness of epidemiological monitoring was assessed according to the criteria: 1) identification of the risk of developing HAIs at the time of its occurrence; 2) identification and removal of the source of risk before the development of cases HAIs; 3) the absence HAIs associated with the identified risk; 4) the absence of the pathogen in the hospital environment. A total of 25 suspected factors of transmission were studied. A total of 1234 swab from hospital environment objects, 267 sterility samples of materials, and 27 samples infant formula feeding were studied. Results , During the period of prospective epidemiological observation, colonization Pseudomonas aeruginosa of intestine without any clinical signs of infection was detected in 14 newborns for 14 days, the colonization rate was 22.73 per 1000 infants [95% CI 14.26-31.20]. As a factor, liquid soap for hand hygiene was found contaminated during the manufacturing process. The elimination of the transmission factor prevented infection and the development of cases of HAIs. Conclusions. Epidemiological monitoring allowed identification of the risk of HAIs, removal of the source of the risk, to prevent of formation and distribution of a hospital clone of bacteria.

Healthcare workers’ attitudes toward hand hygiene practices: Results of a multicentre qualitative study in Quebec

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is one of the most effective practices to reduce healthcare-associated infection (HAI) transmission, though compliance remains inadequate among hospital personnel. The aim of this study was to explore perceived barriers and enablers of HH compliance in hospital care and healthcare workers’ (HCW) HAI risk and severity perceptions. Methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and observations. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim and supplemented with transcribed observations and field notes. Data was aggregated and coded thematically using a qualitative data analysis software. Results: 65 interviews and 18 observations with HCWs were conducted in nine hospital centres in Quebec, Canada. Data analysis revealed several factors that may influence HCWs’ compliance with HH recommendations. These included clinical environment factors (e.g., lack of sinks), organizational factors (e.g., inadequate staffing, demanding workloads), and communication factors (e.g., dissemination of infection prevention and control [IPAC] information, feedback, and interpersonal professional relationships). At the individual level, knowledge of IPAC and HAI risk perceptions were associated with the adoption of HH. Conclusion: Understanding the determinants of HH adoption is crucial for improving current practices and reducing HAI rates in hospital care. Our findings suggest that environmental strategies (e.g., additional sinks and HH stations) and organizational and communication strategies (e.g., continuing education and training sessions, support from hospital management, positive feedback) could help raise HCWs’ awareness of HAI prevention and adoption of HH guidelines.

Proposed ATP Benchmark Values by Patient Care Area

BACKGROUND Optimal cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in healthcare facilities is paramount to limit the impact of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay systems are widely used as a method for objectively measuring environmental cleanliness. However, there is no current consensus on standardized pass/fail values. The objective of this study was to establish benchmark ATP assay values in specific care areas to be used as a measure to improve environmental disinfection in healthcare settings. METHODS Environmental samples were collected in a 115-bed acute care community hospital in Texas over a 68-month period. Surface samples were collected for the presence of ATP using an ATP bioluminescence monitor and reported as Relative Light Units (RLU). Sampled surfaces were selected at random from locations within the hospital that included emergency department (ED), operating rooms (OR), and near patient areas. All results were entered into a Microsoft Excel database to determine arithmetic means. RESULTS A total of 1300 samples were collected: 172, 177, 951 in ED, OR, and near patient areas respectively. Measurements were taken when no patients or medical staff were in the areas and after the locations had been cleaned by hospital environmental service (EVS) personnel. The mean values were, 70 RLU for ED, 25 RLU for OR, and 92 RLU for near patient areas. CONCLUSIONS Maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and lowering the risk of HAIs is essential in all healthcare facilities. This study has provided provisional benchmarks by care area that may be used for monitoring and improving environmental disinfection.

An infection control journey in hospital based practice conversion

BACKGROUND Outpatient care is provided in hospital-based (HB) outpatient clinics, non-HB clinics and physician offices, ambulatory surgical centers, and other settings. Some settings may have minimal infection control (IC) oversight based on hospital-affiliated status. Whatever the designation, it is essential that care is provided under conditions that minimize or eliminate risks of healthcare-associated infections. The project goals are to effectively bring physician based practices (PBPs) under hospital licensure, ensure safe delivery of care, and produce successful regulatory surveys. METHODS In 2016 at an urban academic medical center, a number of operational PBPs began converting to HB. They included a wide range of clinical specialties that provided a multitude of services (including urology, otolaryngology and dermatology), many of which were at high risk for transmitting infection from person to person if IC breaches occurred. During this time, IC hired a full time practitioner dedicated to PBP/ outpatient and was fully integrated into the practices. Initial assessments of each practice was done, including a full review of infection control processes. Identified needs and risks were addressed. IC presence was established through regular and continuous education, rounding, and auditing. Existing hospital policies and procedures were adjusted and adopted by the practices. RESULTS 100% of the 30 practices achieved HB status and fared well to very well during numerous regulatory activities. There has been a great improvement in following infection control expectations. Adherence to hospital policy and procedure was seen in all settings, including increased adherence to standard and isolation precautions, increased compliance to standards for low, intermediate, high level disinfection and sterilization. CONCLUSIONS The IC journey to HB conversion was successful. A collaborative approach including all levels of personnel was vital in this change. Also, leadership and staff buy-in was critical in moving forward with making and sustaining IC improvements in practice and to maintain survey readiness.

Nurse Staffing and Healthcare-Associated Infection, Unit-Level Analysis.

To examine whether healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and nurse staffing are associated using unit-level staffing data. Previous studies of the association between HAIs and nurse staffing are inconsistent and limited by methodological weaknesses. Cross-sectional data between 2007 and 2012 from a large urban hospital system were analyzed. HAIs were diagnosed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Healthcare Safety Network definitions. We used Cox proportional-hazards regression model to examine the association of nurse staffing (2 days before HAI onset) with HAIs after adjusting for individual risks. Fifteen percent of patient-days had 1 shift understaffed, defined as staffing below 80% of the unit median for a shift, and 6.2% had both day and night shifts understaffed. Patients on units with both shifts understaffed were significantly more likely to develop HAIs 2 days later. Understaffing is associated with increased risk of HAIs.

Survival of Staphylococcus aureus on therapeutic ultrasound heads

Therapeutic ultrasound (US) is commonly used in the rehabilitation of soft tissue injuries including wounds. US heads and coupling gel come into direct contact with patient skin, increasing the risk for health care-associated infections owing to cross contamination. In this study, nearly 80% of Staphylococcus aureus placed on US heads in gel survived for 1 hour, with survival of 3 days possible in other types of organic matter.

Prevalence and risk factors of health care–associated infections in a limited resources country: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of health care-associated infections (HAI) in our university hospitals (UH) and to delineate the risk factors associated with HAI. We conducted a cross-sectional study in the 2 UH of Sfax, Tunisia on July 2017, including all patients hospitalized for at least 48 hours. It was a 1-day pass per department and a 1-week prevalence survey per UH. Of 752 patients eligible for the study, the total number of HAI was 82, representing an overall prevalence of HAI of 10.9%. Respiratory tract infections were the most prevalent HAI (36.6%). In multivariate analysis, intrinsic risk factors independently associated with HAI were immune-suppression (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.8; P < .001), diabetes (AOR = 2.2; P = .008), and malnutrition (AOR = 2.2; P = .019). Extrinsic risk factors were endotracheal intubation (AOR = 17; P = .01), transfer to another department (AOR = 9; P = .019), parental feeding (AOR = 7.2; P = .014), tobacco use (AOR = 6.3; P = .004), as well as surgical wound class contaminated or dirty (AOR = 6.3; P = .002), and peripheral venous catheter(AOR = 4.7; P = .006). Our study highlighted the magnitude of the HAI problem threatening the quality of care in Southern Tunisia. A wise identification of HAI risk factors may help health care workers to ascertain the avoidability of these infections.

The influence of observational hand hygiene auditing on consultant doctors’ hand hygiene behaviors: A qualitative study

Compliance with hand hygiene guidelines reduces the risk of health care-associated infection, yet doctors are less compliant than other health care workers. Use of observational hand hygiene auditing with targeted individualized feedback was implemented, with improved hand hygiene of consultant doctors; however, the factors that influenced this were not explained by previous quantitative data. The aim was to explore consultant doctors' opinions about the influence of observational hand hygiene auditing with individualized feedback on hand hygiene behavior. Using the Theoretical Domains Framework, we conducted 12 semi-structured in-depth interviews with consultant doctors who experienced the observational hand hygiene audit and feedback intervention. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Analysis identified 8 domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework, with 5 dominant domains: (1) behavioral regulation: receiving written individualized audit feedback positively influenced practice; (2) knowledge: provision of specific individualized feedback improved performance; (3) reinforcement: audit highlighted substandard practices; (4) social professional role and identity: audit reports triggered profession-associated competitive motivation; and (5) environmental context and resources: auditing was perceived to be synonymous with strong organizational safety culture. In this study, provision of individualized targeted feedback was a critical component of observational hand hygiene auditing.

Prevalence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in Pediatric Wards of Nemazee Teaching Hospital in Shiraz: A Comparison with the Whole Hospital

Background: The risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in the developing countries can be up to 20 times greater than the developed countries. Objectives: As the prevalence of HAIs varies even in different wards of a hospital, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of HAIs in pediatric wards and to compare it with the whole hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Nemazee Teaching Hospital in Shiraz. We used registered data that was reported monthly during a one-year period (March 20, 2016 to March 20, 2017). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. Results: The average prevalence of HAIs in pediatric wards was 7.77%, while it was 11.38% for the whole hospital. The most prevalent HAIs in the whole hospital and in pediatric wards were urinary tract and blood stream infections, respectively. The mean rate of HAIs was significantly different between various pediatric wards (F = 29.50, P = 0.0001) and all wards of the hospital (F = 27.16, P = 0.0001) (P < 0.05). Investigation of the prevalence of HAIs in the critical, medical, and surgical wards showed the highest prevalence in the critical care ward (13.22% in pediatric wards vs. 17.45% in the whole hospital). Acinetobacter was the most common microorganism causing HAIs in the whole hospital. Conclusions: Considering the prevalence of urinary tract infections in the whole hospital and blood stream infections in pediatric wards, preventive strategies to reduce the infections should be adopted. The high prevalence of HAIs in critical care wards even in pediatric wards compared to medical and surgical wards indicates the importance of interventions in such wards, especially for children with a weak immune system.

Healthcare-associated infections: bacteriological characterization of the hospital surfaces in the University Hospital of Abomey-Calavi/so-ava in South Benin (West Africa)

BackgroundHealthcare-associated infections have become a public health problem, creating a new burden on medical care in hospitals. The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria poses a difficult task for physicians, who have limited therapeutic options. The dissemination of pathogens depends on “reservoirs”, the different transmission pathways of the infectious agents and the factors favouring them. Contaminated environmental surfaces are an important potential reservoir for the transmission of many healthcare-associated pathogens. Pathogens can survive or persist in the environment for months and be a source of infection transmission when appropriate hygiene and disinfection procedures are inefficient. The aim of this study was to identify bacterial species from hospital surfaces in order to effectively prevent healthcare-associated infections.MethodsSamples were taken from surfaces at the University Hospital of Abomey-Calavi/So-Ava in South Benin (West Africa). To achieve the objective of this study, 160 swab samples of hospital surfaces were taken as recommended by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14698-1). These samples were analysed in the bacteriology section of the National Laboratory for Biomedical Analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics 21 software. A Chi Square Test was used to test the association between the Results of culture samples and different care units.ResultsOf the 160 surface samples, 65% were positive for bacteria. The frequency of isolation was predominant in Paediatrics (87.5%). The positive samples were 64.2% Gram-positive bacteria and 35.8% of Gram-negative bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus predominated (27.3%), followed by Bacillus spp. (23.3%).The proportion of other microorganisms was negligible. S. aureus and Staphylococcus spp. were present in all care units. There was a statistically significant association between the Results of culture samples and different care units (χ2 = 12.732; p = 0.048).ConclusionThe bacteria found on the surfaces of the University Hospital of Abomey-Calavi/So-Ava’s care environment suggest a risk of healthcare-associated infections. Adequate hospital hygiene measures are required. Patient safety in this environment must become a training priority for all caregivers.