Abstract
Background: Microbial contamination as the name suggests is the infiltration of pathogenic microbes
into any living body. It increases the burden of disease and results in many fatal infections. The
commonest reason behind microbial contamination in the health care system is health care workers.
The risk of infections in tertiary care centers increases magnanimously despite a near-constant
disinfection regimen being followed daily. Aside from the usual surfaces and equipment, infective
agents are most commonly present on the hands of hospital staff, their mobile phones, and their
clothing, specifically their lab coats.
Objective: This study was planned to evaluate the microbial contamination of white coats, hands, and
mobile phones of health care workers.
Methods: This study, conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, estimates the percentage of
microbial colonization on the white coats, mobile phones, and hands of health care workers. A total of
114 individuals were asked to obtain samples and a convenience sampling technique was used. Data
were analyzed on SPSS version 17.0.
Result: Lab coat contaminants were found to be Staphylococcus aureus (70%), Staphylococcus
epidermidis (15.71%), and Escherichia coli (5.71%), Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSA
(4.2%), Klebsiella (2.85%), and Pseudomonas (1.42%). The hands of observed health care workers
mostly contained MRSA (32.32%) Staphylococcus aureus (29.29%), Staphylococcus epidermidis
(29.29%), and Pseudomonas (9.09%). Mobile phones majorly held MRSA (37%), Staphylococcus
epidermidis (36%), Staphylococcus aureus (21%), and Pseudomonas (6%).
Conclusion: This cross-sectional study shows that a huge extent of health care worker’s apparel and
belongings were
Muhammed Irfan Khan, Mehwash Kashif, Roohi Ehsan, Dr. Muhammad Faizuddin, Sana Iqbal, Hiba Jamil. (2020) Microbial Contamination of White Coats, Hands and Mobile Phones of Health Care Workers, International Journal of Pathology, Volume-18, Issue-2.
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