Cathy Wellny, Sumping
(2008)
Bacterial contamination on nurses'
uniforms in husm medical wards: an
experimental study.
Other.
Universiti Sains Malaysia.
(Submitted)
Abstract
Several studies have demonstrated that healthcare personnel's uniforms
especially nurses' uniforms could become contaminated by certain dangerous
microorganisms whilst carrying out clinical duties and uniforms could be a
vehicle for the transmission of infection for example Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus),
vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). These
bacteria can caused several types of infection and may lead to mortality. The
uniforms are also contaminated because of proper managing of the uniforms is
not adhered. In this experimental cross sectional study, dominant hand's
sleeve, pocket, and abdominal area of 28 nurses were swabbed at the start and
end of duty and transferred to petrifilm and incubated under 35°C +/- 1°C and
Escherichia coli (E. coli) and S. aureus colony count were quantified after 48
hours. The purpose of this study was to examine the degree of E. coli and S.
aureus contamination present on nurses' uniforms at the start and at the end
span of duty. Results demonstrated that there was a significant difference of E.
coli and S. aureus contamination on nurses' uniforms at the start and at the end
of duty (p=0.017, a=0.05); p=0.049, a=0.05 respectively). The resuHs also
demonstrated that there is a redudion of bacterial contamination on nurses'
uniforms at the end of duty. The resuHs also demonstrated that there was a
significant difference of E. coli contamination on dominant hand's sleeve, pocket, and abdominal area at the start of duty. However, there was no
difference of E coli contamination on dominant hand's sleeve, pocket, and
abdominal area at the end of duty and S. aureus contamination between
dominant hand's sleeve, pocket and abdominal area on nurses' uniform at the
start and end of duty was equal. Hence, it is important for the nurses, and
hospital to take action in order to minimize bacterial contamination on the
uniforms to prevent transmission of infection from nurses' uniforms to patient
and vice versa.
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