MICROBIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENT OF NATIONAL MEDICAL COLLEGE &TEACHING HOSPITAL, NEPAL

Abstract

Objective: This research was carried out from September to March 2023 at the National Medical College and Teaching Hospital with the objective to detect most prominent nosocomial infection causing microorganisms in hospital environment. Methods: A total of 148 environment samples (66 in air samples and 82 surface samples) from different wards were taken from the hospital environment. All the samples were processed following standard microbiological methods. Results: Gram-positive cocci were the most prominent ones followed by Gram-positive bacilli and then Gram-negative bacilli. Among Gram-positive isolates, coagulase-negative staphylococci accounted for 28.84% of the isolates followed by Staphylococcus aureus with 25.76%, Streptococci with 8.23%, and Gram-positive rods with 17.68%. Among Gram-negative isolates, Acinetobacter spp. accounted for 8.08% followed by Escherichia coli with 1.43% and Klebsiella spp with 0.35%. Among fungal isolates, yeasts were found in higher number with 9.59% in comparison to Aspergillus spp. All Gram-positive isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. Among Gram-negative isolates, E. coli showed the highest susceptibility to amikacin with 85%, Klebsiella spp, and Acinetobacter spp showed the higher degree of susceptibility to ciprofloxacin with 80% and 74.2% respectively. Conclusions: The high incidence of similar types of bacterial isolates detection in the hospital environment suggests that the environment surrounding the hospital may be significantly contaminated with nosocomial pathogens and could represent a major mode of transmission to patients.