TY - JOUR AU - Ndu, Ikenna Kingsley AU - Asinobi, Isaac Nwabueze AU - Ekwochi, Uchenna AU - Nduagubam, Obinna Chukwuebuka AU - Amadi, Ogechukwu Francesca AU - Okeke, Ifeyinwa Bernadette AU - Iheji, Chukwunonso Chigozie AU - Onu, Ngozi Nancy PY - 2019/09/12 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - The bacterial profile and sensitivity patterns of isolates from medical equipment and surfaces in the Children’s emergency room of a Nigerian hospital : The bacterial profile and sensitivity patterns of isolates from medical equipment and surfaces JF - Medical Science and Discovery JA - Med Sci Discov VL - 6 IS - 9 SE - Research Article DO - 10.36472/msd.v6i9.291 UR - https://medscidiscovery.com/index.php/msd/article/view/291 SP - 192-197 AB - <p><strong>Objective:</strong> &nbsp;Nosocomial infections are those acquired in hospitals or healthcare service units that first appear 48 hours or more after admission or within 30 days after discharge following in-patient care. Knowledge of the bacterial profile and sensitivity patterns of any hospital environment is a key factor in infection control and good antibiotic stewardship.</p><p><strong>Material and Methods:</strong> This hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Children’s Emergency Room (CHER) of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria.&nbsp; Samples for culture were collected from equipment and hospital surfaces. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was determined for each isolate by the Agar diffusion method using Standard Nutrient Agar 1 discs.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Bacterial growth was observed in 83 (70.3%) specimens. <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> (53.4%) was the most common isolate cultured followed by Coagulase-negative <em>Staphylococcus</em> (18.8%), then <em>Escherichia coli</em> (13.9%). Among <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em> isolates, 25.9% were MRSA. Ampicillin resistance of the gram negatives was high. All the Gram-negative isolates were susceptible to Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone.</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, Coagulase-negative <em>Staphylococcus</em>, and <em>Escherichia coli</em> were the commonest isolates. More efforts are needed to ensure improved hygiene standards in order to reduce the burden of nosocomial infections.</p> ER -