Surveillance of bacterial carriage in the nose and hands of healthcare workers and patients attending maternity and children's hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Nosocomial infections have been acknowledged as a significant pathogen responsible for human illness due to the rise in the incidence of these infections that are mainly caused by resistant strains. As a result, it is important to prevent nosocomial infections. Therefore, in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection bacterial carriage appears to be of great importance and in healthy persons, three patterns of carriage are observed over time. The common ecological niches of microorganisms are the anterior nares and hands; hence, the present study aims to evaluate the surveillance of bacterial carriage from the hands and noses of healthcare workers that involve doctors, nurses, and housekeeping staffs and patients involving pregnant women or mothers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational prospective study was conducted for 1.5 years in which collection of swabs from both the hands and nose were taken and inoculated on mannitol salt agar, blood agar, and MacConkey agar and incubated at 37°C for 24 h following which biochemical reactions were performed from isolates and 160 nasal swabs and hand swabs were studied for bacterial growth.

RESULTS: The percentages of bacterial growth in the hands of mothers, doctors, housekeeping staff, and nurses were 17.5, 12.5, 52.5, and 25%, respectively, and in the nose were 7.5, 5, 32.5, and 12.5%, respectively. Total bacterial carriage in hand and nose swabs were 26.87 and 14.37%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the most common microorganism isolated and as a result to prevent its spread along with other nosocomial microorganisms, appropriate precautions should be taken as the spreading of these organisms can lead to drug resistance strains.