Radiological equipment and accessories as sources of nosocomial infection

Background: Nosocomial infections have become a major challenge in health institutions, as they affect the quality of health care delivered. The radiology department is one of the mainstays of modern medicine. It is therefore, necessary to assess its contamination by nosocomial organisms.Aim: The study aims at identifying the nosocomial bacteria associated with imaging equipment and accessories in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.Methods: The study design was prospective and cross-sectional in nature, and was conducted between Oct 2014 to Jan 2015 using disproportionate stratified random sampling method. Four different conventional x-ray units, fluoroscopy, computed tomography, angiography and ultrasound units were selected. Swabs were collected from the surfaces of the selected parts of the equipment and accessories after working hours in each unit. The swabs were taken to the microbiology laboratory for culturing and identification using standard laboratory procedure. A total of 200 cultured samples were used in the study. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 software.Results: Bacteria were isolated in 43.5 % (n = 87) of all the swab samples with ultrasound transducer as major culture. Specific bacteria isolated were: Staphylococcus aureus (n = 65; 74.7 %), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 14; 16.1 %), Bacillus spp (n = 6; 6.9 %), Klebsiella spp (n = 1; 1.1 %) and Proteus spp (n = 1; 1.1 %). Methylated spirit was the most effective chemical disinfectant. Conclusion: Radiology equipment and accessories in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital are not entirely free of bacteria. Meticulous attention to disinfection will safeguard staff and other patients from nosocomial infections.