Isolation and Identification of Bacteriumon DiagnosticPathology Laboratory Hardware

Abstract

Background: The main aim of our study is to check the hygiene level of private and government hospital laboratories instruments and to determine Isolation and identification of bacteria present on clinical laboratories instrument (computers keyboard, mouse and telephone).

Methodology: An analytical cross-sectionalstudywas conducted in the tertiary private and government hospital laboratories of Islamabad, Pakistan from 1^stApril to 30^thSeptember 2023. Samples were collected aseptically from various sections of the laboratory using sterilized wet cotton swabs; clean each computer keyboard, mouse, and telephone dipped in distal water and rotated on every corner of the keyboard, mouse, and telephone. For the isolation of organism, samples were inoculated on MacConkey agar for overnight at 37 ⁰C, after overnight incubation bacterial colonies of different shape, size and color were selected. Following the collection of pure colonies, conventional microbiological methods such as Gram staining and biochemical tests were used to identify the organisms. For antibiotic testing, AST was measured using the dick diffusion method Mueller-Hinton Agar (MHA). For statistical analysis, we used MS Excel and SPSS (version no 22) software.

Results: Out of 120, 42 (35.0 %) samples were collected from keyboard, 42 (35.0 %) from mouse and 36 (30.0 %) from telephone. A total of 59 (49.2 %) samples were resulted as STAPH SPP, 40 (33.3 %) samples were MRS, 6 (5.0 %) samples were MRSA, and 15 (12.5 %) samples were found with no growth. The fact that some of these bacteria are highly resistant to routinely used antibiotics is quite concerning. Multidrug resistance was also discovered.

Conclusion: Antimicrobial resistance to most common antimicrobial agents was also found in high numbers. As a result, pathogenic microorganisms on computer keyboards, mouse and telephones are a cause for concern. Because computer keyboards, mouse and telephones provide a surface for colonization, infection control recommendations must focus on proper surface disinfection and hand hygiene, as well as understanding of how to clean such surfaces or disinfect them.