Volume 18, Issue 3 (Autumn 2026)
nkums 2026, 18(3): 69-78 |
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Ethics code: IR.US.PSYEDU.REC.1404.057
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Naziri Z, Sorbi M, Abbasi F. Assessment of Bacterial Contamination of Medical Equipment and Environmental Surfaces in a Government Hospital in Shiraz, Iran. nkums 2026; 18 (3) :69-78
URL: http://journal.nkums.ac.ir/article-1-3429-en.html
URL: http://journal.nkums.ac.ir/article-1-3429-en.html
1- Associate Professor of Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran , z.naziri@shirazu.ac.ir
2- MS.c. in Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
3- Ph.D. Candidate in Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
2- MS.c. in Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
3- Ph.D. Candidate in Bacteriology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract: (46 Views)
Introduction: Direct contact with medical equipment and inanimate surfaces in hospitals, often contaminated with the flora or pathogens of patients, visitors, and healthcare workers, plays a significant role in infection transmission and the spread of antibiotic-resistant strains within hospitals and, subsequently, into the community. This study investigated the diversity and distribution of bacterial contamination on medical surfaces and equipment and assessed the antibiotic resistance profiles of isolates across different hospital departments.
Methods: A total of 50 swab samples were collected from surfaces and equipment in the maternity ward, emergency department, corridors, and waiting room of a government hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Samples were processed using standard microbiological methods, and isolates were identified through Gram staining and biochemical tests following purification. The antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates to 8 common antibiotics was examined using the disk diffusion method.
Results: A total of 127 isolates were obtained, comprising 102 (80.3%) Gram-positive and 25 (19.7%) Gram-negative bacterial isolates. The predominant isolates were Bacillus species (52.8%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (22.8%), Escherichia coli (19.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (4.7%). The highest resistance was observed against penicillin and ampicillin, while the lowest resistance was noted against ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was not detected in any of the samples. Additionally, 10 (8.7%) isolates showed multidrug resistance, all of which were Gram-positive.
Conclusion: The findings indicate the risk of transmitting potentially pathogenic and treatment-resistant strains via hospital surfaces and equipment, which poses a serious challenge to infection control and clinical treatment.
Methods: A total of 50 swab samples were collected from surfaces and equipment in the maternity ward, emergency department, corridors, and waiting room of a government hospital in Shiraz, Iran. Samples were processed using standard microbiological methods, and isolates were identified through Gram staining and biochemical tests following purification. The antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates to 8 common antibiotics was examined using the disk diffusion method.
Results: A total of 127 isolates were obtained, comprising 102 (80.3%) Gram-positive and 25 (19.7%) Gram-negative bacterial isolates. The predominant isolates were Bacillus species (52.8%), coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (22.8%), Escherichia coli (19.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (4.7%). The highest resistance was observed against penicillin and ampicillin, while the lowest resistance was noted against ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was not detected in any of the samples. Additionally, 10 (8.7%) isolates showed multidrug resistance, all of which were Gram-positive.
Conclusion: The findings indicate the risk of transmitting potentially pathogenic and treatment-resistant strains via hospital surfaces and equipment, which poses a serious challenge to infection control and clinical treatment.
Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Hospital-Acquired Infection, Medical Equipment, Surface Contamination
Type of Study: Orginal Research |
Subject:
Basic Sciences
Received: 2025/09/9 | Accepted: 2026/04/19 | Published: 2026/09/29
Received: 2025/09/9 | Accepted: 2026/04/19 | Published: 2026/09/29
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