Abstract
BACKGROUND: Disinfection has a fundamental role in the control of pathogens in the hospital environment. This study was designed to assess the efficacy and functional impact of disinfectants in reducing pathogens related to healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in hospitals. METHODS: This observation study was conducted at three university hospitals in Gorgan, Iran, from May to Oct 2023. The data including used disinfectants and microbiological examination were obtained from the infection control unit of each hospital. RESULTS: The results showed that a variety of disinfectants from intermediate to high levels were employed in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) protocols. The microbial result revealed that 31.6% (286 out of 906) of the sample had at least one microorganism. Among identified organisms, Bacillus spp. were the predominant species followed by Staphylococcus epidermis, fungus genera, Enterobacter spp., Enterococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Escherichia coli, Alcaligenes spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Citrobacter spp., Corynebacterium spp., Klebsiella spp., Acinetobacter spp., Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Serratias spp. The highest prevalence rates of microorganisms were observed in the wards of ICU, emergency, internal medicine, and women's ward. The chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between the presence of organisms and hospital wards (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The presence of pathogens indicates a defect in the disinfection process, probably due to both little attention to disinfection protocols and multidrug resistance. It is not yet possible to eliminate pathogens from the hospital environment, but it can be minimized by education intervention, standardizing disinfecting processes, and monitoring by the infection control committee.