A comparison of the bacteria found on the hands of ‘homemakers’ and neonatal intensive care nurses.

The counts, types and antimicrobial resistance of bacteria on the hands of 204 individuals in the community (homemakers) was compared to that of 119 nurses at a university teaching hospital. The mean total log counts of bacteria was 5.73 and 5.24 for the homemakers and nurse hands, respectively. There was a higher proportion of antibiotic resistant bacteria on the hands of the nurses. This study demonstrates differences in prevalence, bacterial composition and antimicrobial resistance of hand flora of hospital personnel compared with homemakers. J Hosp Infect 2003;54:310-315.