A bacteriological study of sources of infection in the operating theatre at a teaching hospital

ABSTRACT

In an effort to find and eliminate sources of infection in the operating theatres of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, 28 air samples by the settle plate technique, 20 samples from various surfaces, 20 samples from sterilised equipment and 5 from antiseptic solutions kept in the theatre were investigated bacteriologically. Thirty nasal swabs were cultured for pathogenic organisms, one from each of the 30 theatre personnel comprising 8 surgeons, 8 students, 4 anaesthetists, 6 nurses and 4 orderlies. The bacteria-containing particles in the theatre air ranged from 4.2 to 113.2/m3. The figures were significantly more when operations were prolonged and students were present during the operations. A high bacterial count was noticed during the start of operations which could be related to movement of theatre staff, particularly orderlies during initial cleaning and arranging of the theatre. Staphylococcus pyogenes was consistently observed in theatre air, in nasal swabs of 30 percent of the staff, and in some floor samples. Only one of the 28 individuals operated on developed sepsis; this was caused by Staphylococcus progenes probably derived from nasal colonisation of a theatre orderly. Treatment of nasal carriers by Hibitane cream, prevention of entry of unwanted persons, preponement of cleaning exercise, and tightening of other aseptic measures have reduced the aerial bacterial count of the operating theatres (AU)