Prevalence of Gram-Negative Bacilli Isolated from the Equipment and Surfaces in Hospital Wards of Golestan Province, North of Iran

Nosocomial infections are one of the most common causes of death in hospitals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gram-negative bacilli isolated from the equipment in hospital wards of the Golestan province, in the year 2015. In this cross-sectional study in 2015, 1980 samples from medical and nonmedical equipment and surfaces were collected from the wards of 13 teaching hospitals, in the Golestan province. Samples were inoculated into eosin methylene blue agar and blood agar culture media and isolated colonies were identified by standard biochemical tests. The obtained results were then analyzed using SPSS 22 software and χ(2) test. Among 1980 isolated samples, 601 samples (30.35%) were infected with gram-negative bacilli while Enterobacter aerogenes (37.27%) was responsible for most of the contaminations. The highest rate of infection was observed in the intensive care unit (33.1%), and the highest level of contamination in the medical equipment was associated with laryngoscope and its blade (10.48%), as well as ECG sensor and its monitoring connector (6.65%). Meanwhile, phone (6.32%) and patients’ beds and linen (5.15%) had the highest level of contamination in the nonmedical equipment. Considering the high rates of gram-negative bacilli contamination in the hospital wards of the Golestan province, thorough hand washing as the main action for disinfection and sterilizing the equipment, as well as performing periodic cultivation alongside the use of standard guidelines for prevention and control of nosocomial infections, are recommended to reduce the level of contamination.