Isolation of common aerobic bacterial pathogens from the environment of seven hospitals, Ahvaz, Iran

Introduction and objective: Hospital acquired infections are serious problems in patients care and adversely affect the mortality and morbidity despite antimicrobial therapy and advances in supportive care. The researchers aimed to determine the contamination of inanimate hospital environment to bacterial agents and their susceptibility to various antimicrobial agents. Seven different teaching hospitals were included in this study.

Materials and methods: From April 2006 to January 2007, 1208 samples (1156 wet swabs, eight water dialysis and 44 hand washing samples) were taken from surface and medical instruments in different hospitals' wards. Susceptibility test for bacterial isolates was done by disk diffusion assay.

Results: In the present study 57% of samples were positive and more than 10 species were isolated. Coagulase negative staphylococci(36.1%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (8.9%) were the predominant isolates among Gram-positive and negative bacteria, respectively. Hands (79.5%), kitchen (71.4%), staffs^' room (61.1%) and equipments (57.8%) were the most infected sites. Gram-negative enteric bacilli (50%) in food service personnel and Gram-positive cocci (46.6%) in medical personnel were predominant isolates from hand specimens. 60% of   Staphylococcs aureus yielded methicillin resistant (MRSA).

Conclusion: Lack of a universal procedure for surveillance of nosocomial infection, presence of MRSA and some other pathogenic bacteria, poor hand hygiene and heavy contamination of some important surfaces are the most important problems in our hospitals.