Abstract
Background: Nosocomial infections are acquired during hospitalization which was not present at admission. The microorganisms causing these infections usually present under many conditions. Surfaces with a higher prevalence of contamination include daily-use equipment and items. In this study, we aimed to determine the bacterial contamination of patients' bedside tables at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by collecting samples from patients' bedside tables at King Abdul-Aziz Medical City. Swabs were taken from the allocated tables randomly. Then, the samples were sent to the lab for culturing to determine the presence or absence of contamination. Results: Of the 226 patients' bedside samples, 203(90.22%) showed bacterial growth. Most of the isolated bacteria were gram-positive (97.72%), while gram-negative was found in 1.66% and fungi in 0.62% of the samples. The most common organism to be cultured was Staphylococcus negative coagulase, which was isolated 173 times (67.5[1] %), followed by Corynebacterium species (49.1%). However, the least organisms to be isolated were Ochrobactrum anthropi, Proteus species, and Rhizobium radiobacter, each isolated one time (0.4%). Most of the positive samples were taken from medical wards, followed by surgical and OB/GYN wards. Also, the medical wards carried most of the gram-negative organisms isolated in our study. Conclusion: The majority of patient's bedside tables were contaminated mostly with environmental bacteria. Fungus and gram-negative bacteria were rarely detected. Contaminated bedside tables could be a source of transmission of infection.