ABSTRACT
Fifty HCWs in ICUs of Internal medicine, Chest, Neonatology and Burn were included in prospective cohort study. Collection of nasal, hand and rectal swabs, proper biochemical identification, culture media and antibiotic sensitivity tests were used to detect Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus [MRSA]; vancomycin-resistant Enterococci [VRE] and extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing gram -ve bacilli [ESBLs]. S. aureus was isolated from 34% of HCWs; 28% were nasal carriers, 4% were hand carriers and 2% had S. aureus at both sites. Nasal and hand carriage rates of MRSA were 20% and 4% respectively, with an overall rate of 22%. Gram -ve bacilli were isolated from 8% of HCWs hand swabs and showed Citrobacter koseri, Escherichia coli, Kiebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hand carriage rate of ESBLs was 2%. Hand contamination with gram -ve bacilli and S. aureus was in 14% of HCWs. VRE carriage rate was 9.5%. ESBLs carriage rate in rectal swabs was 21.43%. K. pneumoniae was the most common ESBLs producing isolate [33.3%], followed by E. coli [18.75%]. In combined disc method, aztreonam was the most sensitive [90%] in detecting ESBLs. Burn ICU had highest% of MRSA and ESBLs carriage. Neonatal ICU showed highest% of VRE carriage. An insignificant association was between infection control training or antimicrobial intake and carriage of antimicrobial resistant bacteria