Posted on

Knowledge, attitude and prevention practice against hospital-acquired infections among healthcare workers in National Hospital Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

*1Ilori, O. R., 2,3Attama, U. C., 4Ilori, O. S., 5Akin-Dosumu, V. T., and 5Anegbe, N. E.

1Department of Community Medicine, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

2National Hospital, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria

3Postgraduate School, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

4Department of Surgery, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria

5Department of Community Medicine, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Nigeria *Correspondence to: orilori@lautech.edu.ng; 07031038682; ORCID: 0000-0002-3791-1022

 

Abstract:
Background: Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose serious challenges to safe and high-quality healthcare delivery. They are associated with prolonged hospital stays, disability, economic burden, and mortality, and are usually consequences of poor infection prevention and control practices. The objective of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare workers on infection prevention, and the determining factors at the National Hospital Abuja, Nigeria. Continue reading “Knowledge, attitude and prevention practice against hospital-acquired infections among healthcare workers in National Hospital Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria”

Posted on

Bacterial contamination of stethoscopes at a tertiary care hospital in southwestern Nigeria

O.A. Adesanya, V.U. Nwadike, O.O. Adesanya, A.B. Lamina

 

Abstract

Hospital acquired infections are a recognized cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. They are frequently caused by organisms residing in healthcare environment, including contaminated medical equipment like stethoscopes. There is limited awareness of health workers of the contribution of contaminated hospital equipment to nosocomial infections. Hence we aimed to determine the level of bacterial contamination and bacterial profile of the isolates from stethoscopes at our centre- a tertiary care hospital in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria.

To achieve this, 2 stethoscopes were selected from each of the clinical care units in the hospital and studied. Specimens were collected using moistened sterile cotton swab from the ear pieces and diaphragms of each stethoscope and processed following standard microbiological techniques. In all, 26 stethoscopes were studied. 46.2% (12) of the diaphragms cultured yielded growth of bacteria while only 11.5% (3) of the ear pieces cultured yielded a growth of bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus (58.3%) was the most commonly cultured organism. Other organisms cultured included: Diphtheroids, Proteus species and Escherichia coli. 83.3% of the isolated organisms were gram positive while 16.7% were gram negative organisms.In conclusion,the study shows that there is a high level of contamination of stethoscopes in use by health care workers. Disinfection of stethoscopes before and after use is advocated to reduce the spread of infections.

Keywords: Stethoscopes, Contaminated medical equipment, Disinfection, Hospital acquired infections, Health care workers, Bacterial profile

Download full journal in PDF below

Bacterial contamination of stethoscopes at a tertiary care hospital in southwestern Nigeria

Posted on

Epidemiologic characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units

A.A. El Sharkawy, M.A. Mansour, H.M. Helmy, D.M. Abd El Azeem

 

Abstract

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a common pathogen that causes ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) in intensive care units (ICUs). Strain typing is a useful tool in tracking the spread of these infections. Primary objective was to study different strains causing VAP in Anesthesia ICUs. Secondary objective was to determine role of health-care workers (HCWs) and ICU environment in the transmission of these strains. Endotracheal aspirates of 60 VAP patients, surveillance samples from the HCWs (18 )and the ICU environment (193)were collected. Antibiogram typing and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR) were used for comparison of the isolates from VAP patients and surveillance samples. Antibiogram showed 5 antibiotic susceptibility patterns that were designated A1-A5. ERIC-PCR yielded 1 to 5 amplification bands. All the isolates were typable by ERIC-PCR. Eight ERIC patterns were obtained ERIC(I)-ERIC(VIII). ERIC-PCR typing method gave higher discriminatory index (D) (0.7557) than antibiogram (0.6035). There was sharing of certain ERIC patterns among patient and HCWs or environmental sources. In Conclusion: K.pneumoniae is the most dominant pathogen in anesthesia ICUs. Throats and hands of HCWs are possible sources of pathogen transmission to patients. Surfaces with hand contact of the medical staff are often contaminated and may serve as vectors for cross transmission.

Keywords: Ventilator-associated pneumonia, ICU environment, health-care workers, Klebsiella pneumoniae, antibiogram typing, ERIC-PCR

Epidemiologic characteristics of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates in ventilator-associated pneumonia in intensive care units