NOSOCOMIAL INFECTION IN A NIGERIAN RURAL MATERNITY CENTRE: A SERIES OF NINE CASES

Abstract

Background: An outbreak of urinary tract infection in a rural maternity hospital near Enugu, Nigeria
led to bacteriological assessment which identified Serratia marcescens as the causative organism.
An epidemiological investigation was done to trace the source of this organism.
Objective: To investigate an outbreak of urinary tract infection in a rural maternity centre.
Design: A descriptive study.
Setting: Maternity centre in a rural community near Enugu run by local midwives assisted by
auxillary nurses trained by the midwives.
Subjects: Nine patients at term with symptoms of urinary tract infection.
Results: In all nine cases, the pigmented form of Serratia marcescens was found to be the cause of
the urinary tract infection and the source of this organism was traced to the auxillary nurse who
shaved the patients and the instrument she used.
Conclusion: Since the causative organism of the outbreak of urinary infection in these women was
traced to the shaving instruments used and the fingers of the auxillary nurse who shaved them,
there is the need for better hygiene practices in the health centre and the use of properly trained
staff to attend to pregnant and parturient women. It is recommended that the practice of shaving
parturient women should be discarded.