Bacteriological Monitoring and Evaluation of Cleaning-disinfection of Computer-related Equipment in an Obstetric and Gynecology Hospital

Abstract

AbstractIt is already known that computer keyboards and mouses in hospitals are contaminated with different kinds of bacteria. However, the mouse pad has been neglected with regard to both research and regular cleaning and disinfection in hospitals. In our study, we monitored and evaluated the bacteriology degrees of 74 computers’ keyboards, mouses and mouse pads from six departments. The results showed that before cleaning-disinfection, the contamination rate of the mouse pad ranked second following the keyboards. Enterococcus Faecium was cultured from the mouse pads. The computer-related equipment in the wards and outpatient rooms were much more contaminated than that in the operating rooms. Acinetobacter spp. was only isolated from the doctor’s computers. After cleaning-disinfection, 4 strains of MRSA were isolated from the keyboards and the mouses, one and 3 were cultured at day 3 and day 5 after cleaning-disinfection, respectively. One strain of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa was isolated from the mouses at day 3 after cleaning-disinfection. These demonstrated that the bacterial contamination of the mouse pads must be as emphasized as that of the keyboards and mouses. Furthermore, It is better to clean and disinfect the computer-related equipment(keyboards, mouses, mouse pads) at least once a day.