Microbial flora on the hands of health care personnel: differences in composition and antibacterial resistance

The composition and antibiotic sensitivity pattern of bacteria recovered from the hands of nurses and physicians in two service units of a major teaching hospital were compared with those found in a control population. Significant differences in the composition of bacteria were found in dermatology and oncology unit personnel. Staphylococcus aureus was recovered from 31% of dermatology nurses and 37% of dermatology physicians compared with 20% of oncology nurses, 15% of oncology physicians, and 17% of controls. Oncology personnel had a significantly higher carriage of gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, and multiple antibiotic-resistant, aerobic coryneforms (group JK bacteria). Both dermatology and oncology nursing personnel were colonized by organisms resistant to multiple antibiotics. Methicillin resistance was found in 26% and 66% of the staphylococci recovered from dermatology and oncology nurses respectively. Flora from physicians on the two units had sensitivity patterns similar to controls.