Multidrug Resistant Bacterial Pathogens in the Indoor Air and Floors of Surgical Wards in a University Hospital

Abstract

Objective: The hospital environment is a major source of nosocomial pathogens. These pathogens could contaminate and colonize surgical wounds leading to infections. This study evaluated the bacteriological quality of air and floors of surgical wards of a University Teaching Hospital in Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: Bacteriological quality of air and floor of surgical wards of the hospital was evaluated using passive air sampling and swabbing methods respectively. The isolates were characterized using rapid test kits and antibiotic susceptibility was determined by the modified Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 121 bacterial isolates comprising eleven species were isolated. In the air and floor of all the surgical wards, Staphylococcus spp. (>42%) was the most prevalent Gram-positive bacterium followed by Bacillus subtilis (20.4%). Among the Gram-negative bacterial isolates, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (13.0%) and Proteus mirabilis (9.0%) were the most prevalent in the air and floor, with occasional detection of Acinetobacter baumannii and other members of the Enterobacteriaceae family. The bacterial isolates exhibited diverse degrees of susceptibility to the commonly prescribed antibiotics. The isolated bacteria were mostly sensitive to fluoroquinolones. Conclusion: This study documented the diverse environmental microbiota of the surgical wards of the hospital. The high resistance of the isolated bacteria to the commonly prescribed antibiotics in the hospital highlighted the need for improved infection control and patient safety protocols in the hospital so as to mitigate the spread of nosocomial infections in the surgical wards of the hospital. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2018; 8(3):108-113