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Background: Prophylactic antifungal treatments as well as an appropriate protective environment are essential for prevention of invasive fungal infections in the immunocompromised patients. The aim of our study was to determine the species and concentrations of airborne moulds in various hospital indoor environments as well as the immediate outdoor environment. We have also tested three different growth media in an attempt to establish whichone is the most appropriate for air sampling. Methods: Between October 2007 and March 2008 air samples have been collected from two construction sites at UMC Ljubljana and the immediate outdoor environment with no construction works as well as in a regular hospital ward and an ICU of UMC Ljubljana. The recovered moulds were then identified and concentration of spores in the air calculated. Results: The highest concentration of moulds andthe greatest number of genera were cultured using the Sabouraud agar (SABA)and potatoe dextrose agar (PDA). The average concentration of moulds on Czapek agar was significantly lower than on PDA in SABA (p 0,001). The concentration of moulds in the outdoor air was between 22,8 and 164,9 CFU/ m3,which was signifi cantly higher than in the hospital indoor environment-between 1,0 and 21,1 CFU/m3 (p = 0,001). Th e average concentration of moulds in the regular ward (8,6 CFU/m3) did not diff er signifi cantly from ICU environment (3,3 CFU/m3) (p 0.113). The average concentration of Aspergillus spp. in the outdoor air (25,3 CFU/m3) was significantly higher than the average concentration in the hospital environment (4,1 CFU/m3) (p 0,001). Aspergillus spp. spores represented 30% ofisolated species in the outdoor environment, while in the hospital indoor environment Aspergillus spp. represented 22,2 to 50% of the isolated species. (Abstract truncated 2000 characters) |
