Abstract
Background and Aims:
The hand, an ideal habitat for microbes, can be easily contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, especially among health workers who are in frequent contact with patients. Owing to the increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant nosocomial microbes, investigating their modes of transmission is required to establish efficient preventive measures. In this study, we aimed to investigate the levels of bacterial contamination on healthcare workers’ hands in three Saudi Arabian hospitals and determine the frequency and nature of antibiotic resistance in the isolated bacteria.
Methods:
We administered a questionnaire among 216 healthcare professionals in three hospitals in the central region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and collected data on their knowledge about hand hygiene at the workplace, commitment to wearing gloves while performing tasks, and awareness on hands as a source of infection. Bacterial isolates were collected and screened using the Vitek 2 Compact system.
Results:
Out of the 64 hand swabs obtained from the three hospitals, 42 were positive for culture. The frequencies of positive cultures varied among the three hospitals, with hospitals A, B, and C showing contamination rates of 87.5% (21/24), 59% (13/22) and, 44.44% (8/18), respectively. The identified bacteria included Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus hominis, Kocuria kristinae, Pseudomonas oryzihabitans, Pantoea agglomerans, and others. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed that majority of the coagulase-negative and coagulase-positive staphylococci were resistant to clindamycin, benzylpenicillin, and fosfomycin.
Conclusions:
The present study may help public health experts raise issues concerning infection control and increase awareness among healthcare personnel on the importance of hand hygiene.

Key words: Healthcare workers, nosocomial infection, antimicrobial susceptibility, Saudi Arabia.