Surveillance on antimicrobial resistance: bacteriological monitoring and resistance profiles of isolates from surfaces and equipment at a Ghanaian tertiary healthcare facility

Abstract

Nosocomial infections play a leading part in the infectious disease burden globally. Most developing countries, however, have limited published data on nosocomial pathogens. This study was undertaken to determine the occurrence of pathogenic microbes contaminating different objects, medical equipment and electronic devices at selected wards in Ho Teaching Hospital. The methodology involved swabbing 15 different items in 14 selected wards at Ho Teaching Hospital.The surfaces were swabbed using guidelines by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14698-1). The samples were analysed through culture-based methods and biochemical assays. Susceptibility testing was conducted using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method, employing guidelines from the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute. Out of 210 samples analysed, 53.8% (n = 113) were positive for bacteria. 134 bacterial isolates from ten different species were isolated. About 89% of these isolates were Gram-positive, while Gram-negative isolates accounted for 11%. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest pathogen isolated from the items swabbed. Ciprofloxacin was the most active agent against the S. aureus isolates (n = 82, 75.9%), while resistance to tetracycline was high (n = 49, 45.54%). Multidrug-resistant strains of S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. marcescens, S. sonnei, S. typhi, K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca and P. mirabilis were identified as contaminants on inanimate objects and equipment at Ho Teaching Hospital. The highest frequency of bacterial isolates was found in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In conclusion, the high prevalence of S. aureus and certain Gram-positive isolates on fomites at the Ho Teaching Hospital shows a potential risk of nosocomial infections.