Bacterial Characterization of Inert Surfaces of Mobile Pre-Hospital Care Units

Abstract

Introduction.  Pre-hospital care units facilitate the transfer of vulnerable patients to different health institutions for timely care by medical professionals. However, it can be a source of contamination due to the indirect transmission of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, that can alter the victims' health and integrity, representing a risk for patients and healthcare personnel. Objective.   To characterize the bacteria, present on inert surfaces of mobile pre-hospital care units in Cuenca in the areas of greatest manipulation by first responders and other areas such as ventilation, biohazardous waste area, and handles, among others. Methodology.   This is a non-experimental, cross-sectional field study. For the selection of the universe, the mobile units of public pre-hospital care in the city of Cuenca were used. For the convenience of the study, the three most frequently used mobile units were considered. The sampling was non-probabilistic by convenience, considering 30 sites of greatest manipulation by health personnel to obtain the sample for each ambulance. Results.  The genus Staphylococcus was mainly identified, and resistance to Oxacillin and Vancomycin was verified, while the others showed sensitivity to the other antibiotics Clarithromycin, Amoxicillin + Clavulanic Acid, and Ceftriaxone. Conclusion.  It was possible to identify the bacterial agents present on the inert surfaces of three of the twelve mobile pre-hospital care units, and it was observed that most of them were Gram-positive cocci.