Four in Five Hospital Devices and Surfaces in Ethiopian Study Carried

A study in eastern Ethiopia found widespread bacterial contamination in a major referral hospital, with many isolates showing resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Researchers at Sheikh Hassan Yabare Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Jigjiga, Somali Regional State, conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional survey between December 2022 and June 2023, sampling 125 swabs from medical devices and frequently touched surfaces. The items included stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters and suction machines, along with beds, chairs, tables and doorknobs across adult, gynecology/obstetrics, neonatal intensive care, pediatric and surgical wards. Overall, 98 of 125 samples—78.4%—tested positive, yielding 163 bacterial strains. Contamination rates were especially high in surgical services (92.3%) and gynecology/obstetrics (86.2%); every sample from suction machines and pulse oximeters was contaminated. The most common bacteria were coagulase-negative staphylococci (39.2%) and Staphylococcus aureus (22.1%).