Air quality and microbiological control in a hospital in Paraíba, Brazil

Abstract

An elevated quantity of pathogenic microorganisms can be an indicator of poor air quality, putting patient’s health in hospitals at risk. The sanitation of the refrigeration systems must be carried out efficiently and with the right products, capable of maintaining reduced levels of hospital infection. In this work, the aim was to analyze the fungal density in the air of a private hospital, located in João Pessoa-PB, Brazil. The effectiveness of the disinfectant used to clean air conditioning systems in these environments was also verified. In an in vitro experiment with Thilex® disinfectant against common microorganisms in the hospital environment, the antimicrobial activity, concentration and time of action were evaluated. For the analysis of the air in refrigerated places in the hospital, a bio-aerosol impactor was used to quantify the pathogens. The antimicrobial test indicated that Thilex® was effective against Klebsiella sp., Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Aspergillus sp. presented resistance at the concentration of 2%, being controlled up to 20% of the product in distilled water and exposure time above 1 minute. The hospital's air samples indicated that 12 of the 23 rooms had a fungal density above the acceptable limit according to the current national regulatory standard, with a higher prevalence in obstetrics rooms. The most common genera were Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Monilia sp. These results indicate urgency in the development of more effective public policies in reducing the risk to patients exposed to low air quality in hospitals.