The Contamination of Wards and Operating Rooms of Al-Hussein General Hospital in Karbala City by Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ( MRSA )

Abstract

Methicillin – resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most bacteria that cause hospital – acquired infections. The source should be determined to control it and prevent spread. The study included 14 isolates being isolated from 197 samples taken from wards and operating rooms of Al-Hussein General hospital in Karbala city from different sites ( beds ,floor , tables , walls , equipments and surgical tools ) from January to May ,2009. The isolates were diagnosed according to cultural, microscopic characteristics and biochemical tests, the diagnosis has been verified by using Api-Staph system. The results showed that the beds and floor of hospital`s wards and operating beds of operating rooms were the most contaminated sites of MRSA. The highest of MRSA prevalence among hospital`s wards was in internal medicine ward 26.08% while the lowest was in urology ward 11.11% , otolaryngology ward 9.52%, surgical ward 8.69% and emergency ward 7.14% . The burn units and orthopaedic ward were not contaminated. The highest of MRSA prevalence among hospital`s operating rooms was in burn and orthopaedic operating room. The results of antibiotics sensitivity test showed that the highest percentage of antibiotic resistance of all MRSA isolates was to Lomefloxacin 57.14% and Kanamycin 50% while the lowest percentage was to Imipenem 7.14%.