ArticleSouthern African journal of infectious diseases2021
Microbial contamination of the hands of healthcare providers in the operating theatre of a central hospital.
Article in Southern African journal of infectious diseases, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.
- Deciphering the genomic landscape of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in South African tertiary hospitals.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Comparison of the efficacy of two hand decontamination methods: Alcoholic septicidine and povidone-iodine solutions.PloS one · 2025Article
- Enhancing Surgical Safety: Microbiological Air Control in Operating Theatres at University Medical Centre Maribor.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Microbiological Analysis of Surgeons' Hands in a Public Hospital in São Luis, Maranhão State, Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study.Microorganisms · 2023Article
- Effect of Long-Term Use of Alcohol-Containing Handwashing Gels on the Biofilm-Forming Capacity ofInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEffort is invested in maintaining the sterility of the operating field, but less attention is paid to potential healthcare associated infection (HAI) sources through patient contact with non-scrubbed healthcare providers (HCPs). A single microbiological assessment of hands can provide a good assessment of the potential dynamic transmission of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to identify and quantify the microbial growth on the hands of HCPs in the operating theatres of Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital.
methodsA prospective, contextual and descriptive study design was followed. Seventy-five samples were collected using convenience sampling from an equal number of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses. Specimens were taken using agar plates and underwent semi-quantitative analysis.
resultsAll the hands of the HCPs displayed growth; 95% grew commensals and 64% grew pathogens. Eighteen commensal microorganisms and 21 pathological microorganisms were noted. Comparisons of commensal, pathological and combined levels of contamination among the three groups were not statistically significant (
conclusionIt was concerning that 100% of the hands of HCPs who were about to commence with the surgical list had microbial growth. These HCPs could have already been in contact with patients and equipment in the theatre environment.
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