Background: Hand hygiene is a primary aspect in every infection control program. Cross-contamination via the hands of Health Care Professionals (HCPs) is considered the main mode of transmission of nosocomial infections.
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of hand contamination among HCPs in the Internal Medicine and Surgical Departments,as well as to assess the sensitivity of the isolated bacteria to the widely used antibiotics.
Methods: This is a descriptive, prospective, correlational study. The study population consisted of 50 HCPs. Samples from the hands of the participants were collected by means of hand washing with sterile saline solution.The number of colonies per plate was counted and transient pathogens were identified.The sensitivity of the isolated bacteria was determined after performing an antibiogram.
Statistical analysis: The SPSS 13 software was used for the statistical analysis. The level of significance has been determined to be less than or equal to 0.5. P values less than 0.5 were considered significant.
Results: Hand contamination was present in 76% of the population under study. Gram-negative bacteria were present in 52.6% of the cases, while gram-positive bacteria were found in 89.5%. Finally, there were 8% cases of fungal contamination.
Conclusions: Unfortunately, most of the studies conducted in this field conclude that HCPs do not always adhere strictly to the hand hygiene procedures.Thus, it is imperative to take action in order to convey the importance of hand hygiene in the prevention of nosocomial infections.
Key Words: Hand Hygiene, Nosocomial Infections, Hand Contamination, Health Care Professionals (HCPs), Antibiotics Resistance.