The "New Settlers": Results of a Bacteriological Survey During the First 6-Months Operation Period of an Internal Medicine Ward in a Tertiary Hospital

During the first six months of operating a new Internal-medicine ward in a tertiary hospital, a prospective survey, tracking both patient and environment bacteriological samples taken, was conducted. The motive behind the study was to establish the pattern in which environmental colonization is transmitted to the hospitalized patients and vice versa, thus defining the nosocomial pathogens that are typical to the ward. That information can be used to guide empirical antibiotic treatment. Patient sampling was done on clinical grounds whereas environmental cultures were systematically acquired from different surfaces around the ward. 6-months’ results analysis suggest that clinically guided culture rates were tightly associated with volume of patients admitted, with no such association demonstrated between volume of cultures taken and rate of positive results, except for urine cultures. Regarding environmental sampling, we demonstrated no benefit in taking empirical, surface samples for common nosocomial pathogens. Our findings could further improve future resources allocation with regard to infection control and clinical bacteriology routines in newly established internal medicine wards.