Radiographic Equipment and Accessories as a Potential Source of Nosocomial Infection

Background :Radiological imaging plays a crucial role in medical diagnosis. However, the equipment and accessories used increase the risk of transmission of nosocomial bacteria. Objective : The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the level and types of microbiological contamination in four diagnostic imaging hospital departments in order to identify their possible role in the spread of nosocomial bacteria and to assess the effectiveness of routine daily disinfection practices in the control of microorganisms in diagnostic imaging departments. Methods & results: Swabs were collected from the surfaces of selected parts of the equipment and accessories in each department three times daily (early morning, midday, and evening) for five successive days. Bacteria were isolated from 65 swabs (36.1% of all samples). The bacteria were isolated 3 times (4.6%) in the morning, 16 times (24.6%) at midday, and 46 times (70.7%) in the evening. The bacteria isolated were Escherichia coli (isolated 34 times; 52.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (20 times; 30.8%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (6 times; 9.3%), and Klebsiella species (5 times; 7.7%). Discussion & conclusion: Findings demonstrated that radiology equipment and accessories are not free of bacteria and further improvements in the sterilization and disinfection of radiology equipment and accessories are needed to protect staff and patients from nosocomial infections. Funding: This research was supported by a grant from the “Research Center of the Female Scientific and Medical Colleges”, Deanship of Scientific Research, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the King Saud 109 University Scientific Committee (ethics number: CAMS 063-3839).