The medical overcoat - is it a transmitting agent for bacterial pathogens?

Area of Science:

• Clinical Microbiology
• Infectious Disease Transmission
• Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background:

• Healthcare professionals' attire, including overcoats, can potentially harbor and transmit pathogenic bacteria within clinical settings.
• Understanding the microbial load and resistance patterns on overcoats is essential for infection control strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate, identify, and compare pathogenic bacteria on doctors', residents', and students' overcoats from medical and surgical wards.
• To determine the antimicrobial sensitivity of these isolates and compare them with bacteria from pus samples.
• To provide recommendations for reducing bacterial transmission via overcoats.

Main Methods:

• Bacterial isolation and identification from overcoat hems and pocket mouths of 80 medical personnel using standard procedures.
• Antimicrobial sensitivity testing (drug sensitivity tests) performed on isolated bacteria.
• Comparison of overcoat isolates with concurrent bacterial isolates from pus samples.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence (95%) of bacterial isolates, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, were found on overcoats.
• Bacterial prevalence was significantly higher on overcoats from surgical wards (100%) compared to medical wards (87%).
• Isolates from both medical overcoats and pus samples showed multidrug resistance, though not identical.

Conclusions:

• Overcoats serve as a significant reservoir for pathogenic bacteria, potentially acting as a transmission vector in healthcare environments.
• The multidrug resistance observed in isolates highlights the need for stringent infection control measures.
• Recommendations include educating healthcare professionals on appropriate overcoat usage and laundering frequency.