Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus contamination and distribution in patient’s care environment at Muhimbili national hospital, Dar es Salaam-Tanzania

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Full text article. Also available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-018-3602-4
Environmental contamination with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in routine medical care settings poses an increased risk of health care associated infections through cross-transmission. This study aimed at determining the magnitude and distribution of methicillin-resistant S. aureus contamination among various items in patients’ care surroundings at Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzanias largest tertiary hospital. A total of 200 environmental samples from high touch items were processed and out of these methicillin-resistant S. aureus was 19.5% with significantly higher contamination in general wards. Patients beds surfaces were the most contaminated among studied items (43.7%), whilst the surgical trolleys were least contaminated (7.7%). Presence of 10 or more patients in a room was an important significant correlate for methicillin-resistant S. aureus contamination by bivariate logistic regression model (odds ratio: 4.75, 95% confidence interval 1.624–13.895, p = 0.004). These findings warrant further study of decontamination practices and improved infection control mechanisms, especially in light of the drug resistant isolates identified.

Keywords

Patient care environment, Methicillin resistant, Environmental contamination, Staphylococcus aureus, Nosocomial infections, Health care facilities, Morbidity, Mortality, Tanzania

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