Bacterial Contamination of Biometric Fingerprinting Device- A potential Source of Hospital Acquired Infections?

Jogender; Dr. Priyanka Sharma; Dr. Prasanna Gupta

Volume : IX, Issue : II, February - 2019

Bacterial Contamination of Biometric Fingerprinting Device- A potential Source of Hospital Acquired Infections?

Jogender, Dr. Priyanka Sharma, Dr. Prasanna Gupta

Abstract :

Introduction: Nowadays biometric fingerprinting system is frequently used for identification and for marking attendance. When health care workers (HCWs) use this device, it may constitute a possibility of transmission of infectious organism and may lead to Hospital Acquired infection (HAIs) Objectives: This study aims to find out the presence of pathogenic bacteria on the surface of biometric fingerprinting device in a tertiary care hospital. Methodology: Samples were collected from the biometric devices, cultured and organism isolated, identified and antibiotic susceptibility was done. Results: Samples collected from Hospital, Medical College and Administrative block came positive for S. aureus(42.1%), CoNS (36.9%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10.5%) and Psuedomonsa aeruginosa (10.5%). Among the S. aureus 37.5% was MRSA. Both the Klebsiella and pseudomonas were 100% resistant to Azteronam. Conclusion: Biometric fingerprinting device could be a point of transmission of drug resistant pathogenic microorganisms to HCWs, patients and community.