Prevalence of Nosocomial Infections in Hebron-Palestine Hospitals
Muna Salah
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Rawan Zgheir
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Razan Qadi
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Haya Fakhory
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Hiba Al-Aloul
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Shorouq Sultan
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Manar Jubeh
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Orjowan Juneidi
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Haniya Jubeh
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Nour Sharawi
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Yara Taha
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Ghaida' Qasrawi
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Bayan Abu-Hamdieh
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Tarteel Maswadeh
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Hana Mohtaseb
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
Fawzi Al-Razem *
Applied Biology Program, College of Applied Sciences, Palestine Polytechnic University, P.O. Box 198, Hebron, Palestine.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Nosocomial infections, especially urinary tract infections, form a serious problem in hospitals, and are associated with increased mortality, morbidity, and prolonged hospital stay. In addition, the most infection rates occur at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).
Aims: To investigate the prevalence of urinary tract infections in different clinical departments and to screen for the main pathogens that colonize and cause infection in infants in the NICU in order to provide a scientific basis for effective prevention and control systems for nosocomial infections.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in three hospitals in Hebron. 81 urine samples were collected from the different clinical departments at the hospitals, and 79 swab samples from the throat, umbilical cord, nose, and eye were collected from neonates who were admitted to the NICU section in the three studied hospitals. All samples were cultured on Mac Conkey and human blood agar, and positive cultures were identified according to their morphology, gram stain, motility, and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed using Kirby-Bauer’s disk diffusion method and interpreted according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines 2016.
Results: Results from collected urine samples showed that 20% of patients carried infectious bacteria. Enterobacteriaceae pathogens were the most common in addition to Staphylococcus aureus, with 22% of Enterobacteriaceae isolates being Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL). Screening in NICU departments showed that infections were reported in 77.2% of samples, of which coagulase negative Staphylococcus formed 50%, Enterobacteriaceae formed 42%, and S. aureus formed about 8% of the isolated pathogens. Almost 58% of the Enterobacteriaceae were ESBL producing, and all S. aureus isolates were methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA).
Conclusions: The data collected point to a high threat of healthcare associated infections in the hospitals studied and to the urgent need to establish effective infection control systems in Palestine based on standardized surveillance.
Keywords: Nosocomial infections, neonatal intensive care unit, urinary tract infections, healthcare associated infections, Palestine hospitals