Environmental Screening of Organisms from High-Touch Areas of Critical Care Units in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Amalapuram - The Silent Invaders

Environmental cleaning has long been identified as an important measure in prevention of Health care Associated Infections(HAI)1. HAI’s pose a significant challenge to patient safety, particularly in critical care departments, where patients are highly susceptible to infections due to their critical condition and invasive procedures. The high-touch surfaces in these units have the potential to harbour harmful organisms, which could aid in the spread of illnesses. In recent years, the relationship between hospital environmental pollution and nosocomial infections has received increasing attention. Failure to maintain a clean environment also enhances the risk of multidrug resistant organisms (MDRO’s) transmission, which pose a great challenge in terms of hospital infection control practices.2 The risk of healthcare-associated infections is estimated to be two to twenty times higher in developing countries compared to resource-rich countries, with over 25% of patients affected3.