title: Contamination of health care workers' coats at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: the nosocomial risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health care Associated Infections (HAIs) are a major public health problem in both developed and developing countries. They pose a severe impact in resource-poor settings, where the rate of infection is estimated to be relatively high. Therefore, this study was conducted to establish empirical evidence related to HAIs in Zambia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted from October, 2013 to May 2014 at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka. A total of 107 white coats worn by health care-workers at UTH were sampled for possible bacteriological contamination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 107 white coats screened, 94 (72.8 %) were contaminated with bacteria. There was no difference in the contamination levels between white coats worn for more than 60 min (47.8 %) compared to those worn for 30-60 min (46.7 %) (p = 0.612). Further, the antibiotic sensitivity tests indicated that the bacterial isolates were resistant to some of the antibiotics assessed. Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pnumoniae exhibited the highest resistance to most of the antibiotics assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has shown that white coats worn by health care-workers at the University Teaching Hospital generally have high microbial contaminations and hence pose a nosocomial risk. It is therefore, recommended that white coats be regularly sanitized, and health care workers also be sensitized on public health risk of HAIs associated with contaminated coats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mwamungule
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Henry Mwelwa
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chimana
authors.affiliation: Health Promotions Unit, Institute of Economic and Social Research, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Sydney
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Malama
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mainda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kwenda
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Control, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia.
authors.forename: John Bwalya
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Muma
keywords: Antibiotic- resistance; Bacteria; Health-worker; Nosocomial; Zambia