Zmanjšana občutljivost bakterij proti razkužilom, izoliranih iz površin na oddelku za fizioterapijo

Abstract

Disinfectants are intensively used in medical institutions to control and prevent health care associated infections. With constant use and exposure to disinfectants, bacteria can develop reduced sensitivity or even resistance. In our research, we isolated bacterial strains from reusable devices in physiotherapy departments in four different institutions from Slovenia and Austria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of various disinfectant wipes used in institutions was determined for the isolated strains. The wipes contained the active substance alcohol or quaternary ammonium compounds (QAC). Average MIC values for alcohol-based disinfectants were between 66.61 and 148.82 g/l, for QAC-based disinfectants between 2.4 and 3.5 mg/L. We identified five different strains in which the MIC values were four times higher than the average values, which may indicate a reduced sensitivity of the bacteria against the tested disinfectants. Monitoring the reduction of susceptibility and/or resistance of bacteria to disinfectants is important, as this can also affect the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. It is important to take care of the prudent use of available and effective antimicrobial agents, and it is also absolutely necessary to establish clear criteria and protocols for monitoring the resistance of microorganisms to disinfectants.