Colonization of Nosocomial Pathogens on Computer Keyboards in Patient Care Areas

Authors

  • Anuwat Keerasuntonpong Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Sukrithai Kesornsuk Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Suwanna Trakulsomboon Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University
  • Visanu Thamlikitkul Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University

Keywords:

Nosocomial infection, Keyboard, Computer, Hospital acquired, Bacterial colonization

Abstract

Objective: Nosocomial infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. The role of the hospital environment as a reservoir of nosocomial pathogens is controversial and has not been thoroughly investigated. In the past years at our institution, computers have been widely used in patient care areas, including general wards and intensive care units. There are studies which show that inanimate objects in the hospital environment constitute reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens. Hence, the study is designed to determine whether computer keyboards in the patient care areas in the Department of Medicine Siriraj Hospital were reservoirs of nosocomial pathogens.
Methods: Twenty-six computer keyboards from general medical wards (20) and intensive care units (6) and 26 computer keyboards from secretarial offices were studied from August to September 2003. All the keyboards were cultured for aerobic pathogens by cotton swab technique.
Results: The overall colonization rate of pathogens on the keyboards was 96.2% from patient care areas and 92.3% from the offices (p=1). The colonization rates of non-fermentative gram negative bacilli on the keyboards located in the patient care areas and the offices were 11.5% and 0%, respectively (p=0.24). However, if the fungal isolate was considered a potential pathogen, its colonization rate on the keyboard was 4.3% in the patient care areas compared with 1.5% in the offices (p=0.03).
Conclusion: There was a trend in finding potential pathogenic organisms more often from the computer keyboards located in the patient care areas than from those in the offices. The computer keyboards located in the patient care areas should be periodically cleaned.

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Published

01-09-2005

How to Cite

Keerasuntonpong, A., Kesornsuk, S. ., Trakulsomboon, S. ., & Thamlikitkul, V. . (2005). Colonization of Nosocomial Pathogens on Computer Keyboards in Patient Care Areas. Siriraj Medical Journal, 57(9), 380–381. Retrieved from https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/sirirajmedj/article/view/245612

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 9 (2005): September

Section

Original Article

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