Bacterial Contamination in Some Hospitals in Thamar

Abstract

Contamination of hospital departments is a major cause of hospital acquired infections (nosocomial infection). Multi reservoirs have been reported as being responsible for hospital contamination, particularly delivery theaters, intensive care units (I.C.U), instruments, canuola, stethoscopes, etc. This study was carried out in 2010, and aimed to evaluate the incidence of bacterial contamination of Thamar hospital and Alwehda teaching hospital in Thamar city/Yemen. 263 swabs collected from instruments, equipments, devices, mobiles, blankets, gowns, and others, of different hospital departments, and examined for bacterial contamination. Resistance to commonly used antimicrobials is evaluated in positive cultures. This study showed that the rate of positive cultures in Thamar hospital is 28% (44 were positive out of 156 examined). Of the 44 positive cultures: 77.2% were Gram positive and 22.7% were Gram negative. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was the most common isolate, represent 41% and present in almost all items examined, whereas non-coagulase staphylococcus, which is the predominant in second place, represent 18.2%. The rate of positive cultures in Alwehda teaching hospital is 7.5% (8 were positive out of 107 examined). Of the 8 positive cultures: 87.5% were gram positive and 12.5% were Gram negative. Non-coagulase staphylococcus was the most common isolate represent 50%, whereas S. aureus came second, represent 37.5%. The resistance rate to commonly used antimicrobials in isolated bacteria from hospitals departments and instruments varied and no clear pattern was found except that all isolates showed a high resistance rate to Ampicilin. S. aureus showed a high resistance rate to Ampicilin (85% resistant), while it showed a low resistance rate to vancomycin (4.8%).