Hand washing measures and palmar bacterial floral susceptibility to antibiotics in a Tertiary Care Hospital, Peshawar.

Objective: To examine the practice of handwashing, the microbial pattern, and the susceptibility of microorganisms isolated from the palms of healthcare workers at a Specialized Cardiology hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. Study Design: Cross-sectional Observational study. Setting: Peshawar Institute of Cardiology- Medical Teaching Institute (PIC-MTI). Period: 1st August till 31st September, 2023. Methods: Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to retrieve data. A self-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather respondents' practice scale of handwashing. Culture-based and biochemical tests were carried out to identify bacterial isolates, and the Kirby-Bauer Disk diffusion method was used to determine the susceptibility pattern of bacteria. Results: The majority of the respondents were between the ages 25 and 58, with 63% being male. Almost all Healthcare personnel used an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, while only 45.3% of respondents admitted to always using soap to wash their hands. Presumptive identification of the organisms showed 43.1% of organisms as Staphylococcus epidermidis and 16.8% as Micrococcus spp. Only 5 isolates of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were recovered. None of the antibiotics was 100% effective. The sensitivity to chloramphenicol was high (83-91%), and more than 80% of the isolates showed resistance to Amoxicillin-clavulanate, tetracycline (37-73%), Fusidic acid (36%), and clindamycin (36%). Resistance to erythromycin was seen in 62% of organisms tested, and only 15% were resistant to Rifampicin. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of proper hand washing awareness and monitoring among hospital staff. There were many instances of poor hand hygiene, which could accelerate the transmission of microbes through hand contact. Moreover, there was high resistance observed to the tested antibiotics.