Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) represent a clinical and public health problem worldwide. Microbial transmission can frequently occurs between patients or between patients and health-care workers; however, several devices and surfaces could act as reservoir and source of microorganisms. Aim of this cross-sectional study was to show the microbial contamination of devices or surfaces located in the departments of Medicine and Surgery of an Italian University Hospital.
Methods: Swabs were used to sample devices (keyboards, phones) and surfaces (door handles, water closed, light switches), at two different time-points. Samples were then evaluated in the UOC Hygiene and Preventive Medicine laboratory of the same University Hospital.
Results: 189 swabs were collected, 95 (53.3%) from the Medicine and 94 (49.7%) from the Surgery Department. The bacterial contamination prevalence was 42.9%, significantly higher in the Medicine than in the Surgery Department (51.6% vs 34%; p=0.015). A greater contamination was observed in water closed (22/36, 61.1%), phones (22/40, 55%), and keyboards of personal computers (18/36, 51.4%; p<0.001). No statistical differences were detected in the contamination rates when the different time-points were compared, as well as in the isolation rate of pathogenic bacterial strains.
Discussion: This survey highlights the potential role of devices and surfaces in the HAI pathogenesis. Further longitudinal and analytical studies might better assess the HAI risk associated with bacterial contamination in nosocomial settings.