Microbial contamination in the selected operating theatres at Kenyatta National Hospital in Kenya

Abstract

Background: Surveillance of operating theatres is essential to characterize and aid control and prevention of nosocomial infections spread to surgical patients due to pathogenic bacteria and fungi.
Aim: To characterize pathogenic bacteria and fungi in different operating theatres at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Methods: A total of 1,372 samples from 12 operating theatres were collected from December 2017 to February 2018. Surface samples were collected using sterile wet swabs from different equipment while exposed agar plates obtained aerial samples. One thousand two hundred (1,200) study samples and 172 study controls were processed. Colony-forming unit per cubic metre and settle plate methods enumerated and characterized bacterial and fungal isolates.
Findings: Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci 86(44.5%) and Staphylococci aureus 44(22.8%) predominated swab samples; air contaminant in agar plates was dominated by Staphylococcus epidermidis 185(73%) and coliforms (21%); Aspergillus spp 81(71.64%) was the major fungal isolate with Aspergillus fumigatus alone constituting 36 (31.9%).
Conclusion: The aforementioned microbial isolates contaminate and colonize the operating theatres. This may initiate infection to surgical patients. Thus, it is necessary to maintain and frequently monitor operating theatres to minimize growth and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria and fungi