Physician as an Infective Vector at a Department of Surgery

This study was designed to assess the degree of risk of bacterial transmission from physician to patient through hands, equipment and enclosing surfaces (shoe soles). Material and methods. The study was conducted in the Clinical Department of General and Oncological Surgery UM in Łódź. In days 16.10.2013, 17.10.2013, 18.10.2013 there were done swabs from hands, stethoscopes and soles of shoes from the same group of physicians before and after doctor's rounds. The presence of alert-pathogens in swabs was regarded as positive result. Results. Isolates included mostly aerobic saprophytic bacilli and Staphylococcus species coagulase-negative. There were detected a singly cases of Acinetobacter Baumani and Escherichia coli. Alert-pathogens were found in 4 (16%) swabs taken from hand before doctor's rounds and in 7 (28%) swabs taken after rounds. Stetoscopes were contaminated by alert-pathogens in 3 (12%) cases before doctor's rounds and in 3 (12%) cases taken after doctor's rounds. Soles of shoes were contaminated by alert-pathogens in 14 (56%) cases taken before and 16 (65%) cases taken after doctor's rounds. Conclusions. 1. Physicians are important factor of bacterial transmission in hospital. 2. Hands, stetoscopes and particularly soles of shoes of medical staff is the source of infection.