Affiliations 

  • 1 Pathology Department, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, Selangor
  • 2 Institute for Medical Research, Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur
  • 3 Department of Laboratory Services, General Hospital Kuala Lumpur, 50586 Kuala Lumpur
  • 4 Department of Pharmacy, General Hospital, 70990 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
  • 5 Pharmacy Section, State Medical and Health Department, 70590 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
  • 6 Pfizer (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. Lot 4, Jln 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
  • 7 Ministry of Health, Jalan Cenderasari, 50590 Kuala Lumpur
Med J Malaysia, 1995 Dec;50(4):291-7.
PMID: 8668045

Abstract

A study to determine contamination of diluted disinfectants at different points in preparation and use in 6 Malaysian hospitals was done using the in-use test. A growth of > or = 250 organisms/ml was taken as an indication of contamination. A total of 342 (7.9%) of the 4316 freshly diluted samples collected from disinfectant bottles in the pharmacy were found to be contaminated. The bacterial isolates obtained were Pseudomonas spp. (42.4%), Moraxella spp. (22.0%), Flavobacterium spp. (11.6%) and Enterobacter spp. (4.2%). Three hundred and sixty seven out of 2278 ward stock were contaminated. The isolates were Pseudomonas spp. (48.6%), Moraxella spp. (17.8%), Acinetobacter spp. (8.9%) and Flavobacterium spp. (7.0%). Of the 9265 disinfectants in-use, 1519 (16.4%) were contaminated. Among the organisms isolated were Pseudomonas spp. (44.3%), Bacillus spp. (13.0%), Enterobacter spp. (9.5%) and Acinetobacter spp. (7.3%). The results indicated a high level of contamination of diluted disinfectants prepared in the pharmacy, stored and used in the wards. This gave a high index of suspicion that recommendations for cleaning of disinfectant containers before refilling, handling of diluted stock solutions and using of disinfectants were not closely adhered to. Standard disinfection procedures outlined in the disinfection and sterilization policy by the Ministry of Health should therefore be followed.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.