Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus spp Isolates Colonizing Some College Students Laboratory Coats

Abstract

Aim: Laboratory coats may act as fomites for the continued dissemination of antibiotic resistant bacteria. This study aimed at detecting the level and type of antibiotic resistant microorganisms’ on laboratory coats of students of Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State. Nigeria. Place and Duration of Study: Dora Akunyili College of Pharmacy, Igbinedion University Okada, Edo State. Nigeria between September and October, 2020. Methodology: A total of 20 pharmacy students working in various laboratories in the college were included in the study to evaluate the bacterial contamination of laboratory coats. Swabs were obtained from 3 different areas of the laboratory coat – collar, pocket, and wrist and processed in the Pharmaceutical Microbiology laboratory based on standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out on the isolates obtained by Kirby-Bauer method for 10 antibiotics. Results: This study revealed that 83% of the coats were contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. White coats of male subjects were more contaminated than that of the female subjects and the pockets were sites which had the highest percentage of finding bacteria. Antibiotic sensitivity testing showed isolates on the laboratory coats resistant to cloxacillin, erythromycin, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, augmentin and oxacillin. Conclusion: The detection of antibiotic resistant isolates of Staphylococcus spp from the laboratory coats of pharmacy college students suggests that the clothing may harbor pathogenic organisms. This study also highlights the importance of laboratory coats as potential source of cross infection.