Mobiles and Pens of Hospital Staff, Patients and Visitors Found to Carry MRSA

摘要

Introduction: Life threatening infections like sepsis, osteomyelitis and endocarditis have been reported due to Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA ) which is a major nosocomial pathogen worldwide. Asymptomatic colonized patients, healthcare workers and visitors are the major sources of super bug. These carriers can transmit this organism to other patients and inanimate objects mainly by contaminated hands and posed a serious therapeutic challenge. Extensive use of mobiles and pens by health care workers, patients and visitors in hospitals, OPD, IPD, wards, ICU and OT have also been reported to carry high risk of transfer of MRSA and other pathogens.Aim: The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of carriage of MRSA by hospital staff, patients and visitors on their mobiles and pens and to recommend the preventive measures in a tertiary care hospital in South Delhi.Materials and Methods: A total of 100 swabs (60 swabs from the mobiles and 40 swabs from pens) were collected from four groups of people attending hospital :- Nurses and technicians; Sweeper and attendants; Visitors; and Patients. All these samples swabs were cultured and identified by biochemical tests and strains identified as Staphylococcus aureus were then subjected to oxacillin (6 μg) and cefoxitin (30 μg) disc diffusion test to test methicillin resistance as per CLSI guidelines.Results: In our study contamination rate of 54% was observed. 13 swabs (6 mobiles and 7 pens) were identified to carry MRSA among 100 swabs of health care workers .The prevalence of MSSA (Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus) , and other bacteria (coagulase negative staphylococcus, diphtheroids, gram positive bacilli ,gram negative bacilli) were 18% and 23% respectively.Conclusion: This study has demonstrated that potentially dangerous bacteria can be carried around hospitals on mobiles and pens by hospital staff, visitors and patients. Isolation of MRSA from HCWs mobiles and pens is cause of concern, and indicates a threat of spread of infection. Measures to control nosocomial infections by decontamination of inanimate objects and decolonization of carriers, laboratory based surveillance ,use of barrier precaution, hand washing and hand sepsis should be used in hospitals for each and every hospital staff and patient regularly.