A strain of glucose-oxidizing Gram-negative rod was isolated repeatedly for a long period of time from hands disinfected with chlorhexidine (Hibitane) in ultrasonic equipment in an operating theatre. The isolates identified as a strain of
Alcaligenes faecalis showed an extremely high resistance to the inhibitory action of chlorhexidine, and the MIC of the disinfectant to the isolates was approximately 50 to 100 times greater than those to clinical isolates, e.g.,
Alcaligenes faecalis,
Pseudomonas aerugionsa and
Staphylococcus aureus.
The isolates originated from disinfected hands were also highly resistant to benzetonium chloride (Hiamine), and were as sensitive as the clinical isolates for cresol.
Among 117 strains of several genera of Gram-negative bacteria originated from clinical specimens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus species showed relatively strong resistance against chlorhexidine, and none of them showed high resistance like the hand-derived strain of
Alcaligenes faecalis.
It was elucidated that the repeated detection of the same genus of microorganism was attributable to contamination of the ultrasonic equipment by the chlorhexidine-resistant bacteria. Though there are some advantages in the ultrasonic equipment to reduce the trouble in removing bacteria mechanically from the skin, it should be emphasized that the user's overestimate to the equipment for its efficacy in hand disinfection is very dangerous.
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