Author: Shum, Ho-yi, Connie
Title: Bacterial contamination of six high-contact items in dirty operating theatres
Subject: Nosocomial infections -- Prevention.
Hospital buildings -- Sanitation.
Operating rooms -- Sanitation.
Department: Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
Pages: xiv, 110 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Abstract: Background: Nosocomial infections are an important cause of hospital morbidity and mortality creating increased medical costs. Exogenous environmental infections are considered to be one important transmission route. Within operating theatres, poor environmental contamination can increase the incidence of nosocomial infection. Patients have a high probability of being contaminated during an operation because of rapid patient-care associated with frequent contact with potential sources of bacterial transmission. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the role of the environment regarding infections to propose strategies that reduce contamination and dissemination by pathogens. Aim: The purpose of this study is to explore the level of bacterial contamination from six of the high-contact non-critical items and their distribution in operating theatres within different surgical periods. Methodology: In this pilot study, 600 quota-based sterile swab samples were collected from handset controls, control buttons of the anesthesia machines, jelly pads, computer keyboards, door handles and suction containers of five operating theatres at Queen Elizabeth Hospital from 2010 to 2011. Quantitative and qualitative bacteriological sampling was conducted during pre-operation and post-operation. Result: The mean overall total bacterial count of the 600samples was 40.2cfu/ml pre-operation and 82.9cfu/ml post-operation. There was a significant difference in the bacterial counts between pre-operation and post-operation (p<0.05).A total of 88 (13%) were isolated Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), including 8 (1.3%) isolates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and 17 (2.8%) isolates of Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESβL) negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). And there was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of ESβL (-) E. coli isolation rate in digestive tract theatres (p<0.05) while there was no difference in both S. aureus and MRSA isolation rates from the five dirty operating theatres (p>0.05). Conclusion: Environmental surfaces may serve as sources of bacteria in an operating theatre and these results may help explain the epidemiology of nosocomial infections due to environmental contamination, and serve to remind the hospital administrators of the need to implement better prevention and control strategies to prevent infection. Further work is required to reassess the level of environmental microbial contamination and to determine whether a link exists between contamination and subsequent patient infection.