Publication: Microbial contaminations on hands among visitors at critical units of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia
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Date
2017-06
Authors
Mazlan, Nurul Aimi
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Abstract
Visitors’ hands can be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms that are dangerous to
the vulnerable and immunocompromised critical unit patients. Inadequate cleaning of hands
could carry the pathogenic organisms and transmit disease to one self as well as to the
visited patients. This study was done to determine the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli)
and Methicilin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination on hands among
visitors at critical units with respect to their hand hygiene practices. A total of 52 visitors
were selected into this study using grab sampling. Questionnaire gathering information on
hand hygiene were distributed among the visitors prior their dominant hand swabbing.
Identification of the microorganisms were conducted by gram staining, biochemical tests,
disc diffusion test and selective agar medium. It was found that 98.1% (n=51) of their
hands were contaminated by microorganisms (3.87xl014±1.65xl013 CFU/ml). E. coli was
isolated MRSA found. Only 40.4% (n=21) visitors performed hand hygiene before meeting
with patients. There was marginally significant association between washing hands before
meeting patients and the presence of E. coli (p=0.052). A significant difference was
obtained in Staphylococcus aureus contamination among those who perform hand washing before patient contact (p=0.014). As a conclusion, a higher bacterial contamination on hands might be contributed by inadequacy of proper hand hygiene practices as it was unacceptably low (less than 50%), despites no MRSA was found. Thus, behaviour and attitudes regarding hand hygiene among visitors need to be improved by multidisciplinary approach.