The Prevalence of Bacterial Contamination on the Anesthetic Machine in Zawia Education al Hospital

Background: The anesthesia machines have been inconclusively concerned as a source of hospital- acquired respiratory infections. The anesthesia machines that have a bacterial contamination and their potential hazard for pulmonary infection and cross-infection among anesthetized patients have been an infection control issue since the 1950s. AIM: to detect and analyze the prevalence of bacterial contamination in different parts of the anesthetic machine in both sterile and non-sterile situations at a major hospital named Zawia Education Hospital. MATERIAL an‎d METHOD: 120 samples ( 75/120 sterile, 45/120 nonsterile) were swabbed from four anesthetic machines using sterile bacterial swabs and aseptic technique, samples were collected by swabbing different parts of the anesthetic machines such as the mask, circular inside patient and circular inside the machine. RESULTS: 54.66% of the sterilized samples were positive and 48.88% of the nonsterilizedsamples were positive. The results showed different types of pathogenic bacteria which are Staphylococcus (different types), E .COLi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp, Diphtheria, Micrococcus, Non lactose ferments –ve Bacilli, Non lactose ferments +E,coli and Klebsiella.CONCLUSION: From these findings, the anesthetic machines do appear to have pathogenic bacteria. This research supports tha idea that the present methodology of cleaning and sterilization of the anesthesia machine at this facility is not effective.