Bacteriological Monitoring of Surfaces and Medical Devices in the Intensive Care Unit of Sidi Kacem Provincial Hospital (Morocco)

Abstract

Introduction: The hospital environment is always contaminated with antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria, and the intensive care unit has always been a high-risk environment for contamination and transmission of nosocomial infections. The objective of our study is to perform a bacteriological diagnosis by identifying antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains that contaminate surfaces and medical devices in the intensive care unit, with a view to implementing preventive and corrective measures to reduce the rate of nosocomial infections. Methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2024. Using the swabbing method according to ISO/DIS 14698-1, 64 bacteriological samples were collected from several risk areas of the intensive care unit, identification of the isolated bacterial species was performed by the classical biochemical method and API (Biomerieux, France), antibiogram tests were performed using the Mueller Hinton agar diffusion method. Results: 64 bacterial samples were collected, four samples had a negative culture, with a positivity rate of 93.75%, six (06) bacterial species were isolated and identified with a predominance of Klebsiella Pneumoniae species with a percentage of 26.66%, and staphylococcus aureus with 20%, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 18.33%. 59.40% of the strains of enterobacteria are resistant to aminoglycosides, 43.07% are resistant to ciprofloxacin. For Gram-negative non-enterobacteria 23.63% are resistant to penicillin and 47.25% are resistant to aminoglycosides. Conclusion: Based on these results, an approach to the fight against nosocomial infections should be implemented, based on periodic bacteriological monitoring of surfaces and medical devices, as well as improvements in professional practices.