Effectiveness of Disinfection Protocols in Reducing Microbial Contamination of Shared Medical Equipment in Secondary Hospitals in Ogun State

Shared medical equipment that is inadequately disinfected between patient uses serves as an underappreciated vehicle for healthcare-associated pathogen transmission. This analytical study evaluated the effectiveness of disinfection protocols applied to shared medical equipment including stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, and thermometers in 15 secondary hospitals in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. Equipment surfaces were sampled by contact plates and swabs before and after standard disinfection procedures. Total bacterial counts, MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), and C. difficile spores were quantified. Structured observational assessment captured disinfection agent type, contact time applied, staff technique, and compliance frequency. A randomized crossover comparison of three disinfection regimens (70% isopropanol wipes, 0.5% sodium hypochlorite solution, and commercially available quaternary ammonium compound wipes) was conducted. Results showed that pre-disinfection contamination rates exceeded 80 percent for all equipment types. Post-disinfection failure rates were 34 percent for standard hospital protocols, compared to 11 percent for the isopropanol wipe intervention and 8 percent for hypochlorite solution. MRSA was recovered post-disinfection from stethoscopes in 26.7 percent of facilities using standard protocols. C. difficile spores persisted on hard surfaces in 20 percent of cases treated with alcohol-based agents but were eliminated by hypochlorite. These findings demonstrate the superiority of sporicidal disinfection for C. difficile risk environments and support the adoption of evidence-based equipment-specific disinfection policies. Keywords: medical equipment, disinfection, MRSA, Clostridium difficile, Ogun State.