Evaluating the Effectiveness of Various Detergents and Disinfectants on Bacteria Isolated from Newborn Incubators in Two Major Hospitals in Misurata, Libya

Hospital infections are considered to be a major contributor to the global spread of many diseases, especially when it comes to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This study evaluates the effectiveness of sterilizers and disinfectants, including Minuson AF, ethanol, propanol AF, and popular sodium hypochlorite, as well as two alternative options, commercial sodium hypochlorite (Clorox) and Dettol. The assessment is conducted against bacteria isolated from swabs taken from newborn incubators in the public Misurata Medical Center and the private Al-Saeed Hospital, both significant healthcare facilities in Misurata City in Libya. The antimicrobial activity of disinfectants was evaluated using the discdiffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar-filled petri dishes containing bacterial suspensions. They underwent differential and biochemical testing, and bacterial species were isolated from the samples that underwent testing. A total of 164 samples 145 positive samples were obtained, with 87 (60%) coming from Misurata Medical Center and 58 (40%) coming from Al-Saeed Private Hospital. The isolation of various bacterial strains, including Staphylococcus aureus (57.24%), Bacillus spp (23.45%), Klebsiella spp (7.59%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (4.13%), Pseudomonas spp (3.45%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (2.07%) and Escherichia coli (2.07%), revealed the inefficacy of sterilization in certain incubators across both hospitals. The results indicated that certain disinfectants and sterilizers, such as Minuson AF, Clorox, and Dettol, were effective against all isolated species. Ethanol demonstrated effectiveness against all species except Klebsiella spp. Propanol AF showed effectiveness against Bacillus spp and Pseudomonas spp, while popular sodium hypochlorite (PSH) was effective against all species except S. epidermidis and Klebsiella spp. Moreover, combining two of these substances was found to enhance the efficacy of some while diminishing the efficacy of others.