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International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences (IJCMAS)
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Original Research Articles                      Volume : 6, Issue:3, March, 2017

PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706
Issues : 12 per year
Publisher : Excellent Publishers
Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com /
submit@ijcmas.com
Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash
Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39
NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38

Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci.2017.6(3): 2276-2285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.603.260


Contaminated Outer Surfaces of Clinical Sample Containers Received at a Public Tertiary Healthcare Centre Microbiology Laboratory: Need for Re-Emphasis on Occupational Safety in the Developing World
T.M. Nandan1*, R. Ravikumar2, G. Latha1, S. Nagarathna2, H.B. Veenakumari2 and K. Vidyasagar3
1Department of Microbiology, PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kuppam, India
2Department of Neuromicrobiology, National Institute of Mental Health and
Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India
3Department of Microbiology, Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellur, India
*Corresponding author
Abstract:

Although clinical sample containers can be perceived to be harbouring pathogens on their outer surfaces, a vast majority of healthcare personnel appear to be accustomed to keeping this fact out of their minds due to unknown reasons. The current study provides a cross sectional view of this complex, often ignored, scenario of overlooking subtle infection control practices that may lead to acquisition of potentially infectious bacteria. The study was conducted using 51 clinical sample containers received at a public tertiary healthcare centre Microbiology laboratory between February and April 2013. Samples were collected from the outer surfaces of the containers and were immediately inoculated and subcultured on to necessary plating media, the organisms isolated, and their antibiotic susceptibility patterns elucidated. Virtually all the clinical sample containers yielded one or the other organisms from their outer surfaces. Majority of the Gram positive isolates were Methicillin Resistant Coagulase Negative Staphylococci and of the Gram negative isolates were coliforms with over half of the isolates being multiply antibiotic resistant. The present study tries to provide the scientific healthcare community and the community at large, with the much needed re-emphasis about the routinely neglected aspect of occupational risk to healthcare personnel.


Keywords: Contaminated outer surfaces, Sample containers, Occupational safety, Antibiotic resistance, Microbiology laboratory, Healthcare associated infections.

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How to cite this article:

Nandan, T.M., R. Ravikumar, G. Latha, S. Nagarathna, H.B. Veenakumari and Vidyasagar, K. 2017. Contaminated Outer Surfaces of Clinical Sample Containers Received at a Public Tertiary Healthcare Centre Microbiology Laboratory: Need for Re-Emphasis on Occupational Safety in the Developing World.Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci. 6(3): 2276-2285. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.603.260
Copyright: This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

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