Study of hygienic hand disinfection of staff and dental students at the Medical University – Plovdiv

<b>Introduction:</b> Transient microbial flora on the hands of medical personnel is a prerequisite for healthcare-associated infections. Unlike permanent this micro flora can be removed by washing and disinfection. The hands of the dental staff are factor number one in the transfer of microorganisms: from patient to patient as well as on objects from the dental environment.<br /> <b>The aim</b> of the present study was to microbiologically examine hand washes of 5th year dental students and medical staff before starting work with a patient in order to evaluate the quality of hygienic disinfection performed.<br /> <b>Methodology:</b> The hands of a total of 115 doctors and students from the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the Medical University of Plovdiv were wiped with a sterile swab after treatment with a disinfectant. Isolates were identified to species using Vitek MS and MALDI-TOF technology.<br />  <b>Results: </b>Coagulase-negative staphylococci with a microbial number of 10<sup>3</sup>-10<sup>4</sup> were found to have the highest microbial count (70%). 9% of the samples with coagulase-negative staphylococci had microbial count ≥10<sup>5</sup>. The most common isolates detected were: <i>Staphylococcus hominis</i>, <i>Staphylococcus epidermidis</i> and <i>Micrococcus luteus</i>.<br /> <b>Conclusion:</b> The presence of coagulase-negative staphylococci in a high microbial count, enterococci and representatives of <i>Bacillus simplex</i> is undesirable, especially in immunosuppressed patients. These results highlight the need to increase knowledge about hand disinfection and its actual application before working with a patient.