This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Vackova, M. Articles by Chlibeka, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

The Occurrence of Microscopic Fungi in Air Samples from a Transplant Intensive Care Unit

Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec KrálovÈ, Czech Republic

V. Buchta

Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital, Hradec KrálovÈ, Czech Republic

R. Prymula

Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec KrálovÈ, Czech Republic

J. Cerman

Department of Clinical Haematology, University Hospital, Hradec KrálovÈ, Czech Republic

A. Kubatova

Department of Botany, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

P. Hamal

Institute of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

V. Raclavsk

Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic

R. Chlibeka

Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence, Hradec KrálovÈ, Czech Republic

Contamination of the air by fungi at the Transplant Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the University Hospital in Hradec KrálovÈ was investigated in 2004. Air samples were taken from the patient’s breathing zone in the single rooms, in the room used for drug preparation and from the air outside the hospital building. Air was sampled with Biotest RCS Plus air sampler and material collected on the yeasts and mould strips prepared with Rosa Bengal Streptomycin Agar. The majority of the air samples (64%) from the Transplant ICU were free of fungi. Only Cladosporium spp., Penicillium spp. and Mucor spp. were found though rarely with the load ranging from 2 to 26CFUám ³. No isolates of the opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus strain were detected in the single rooms. In contrast, two outdoor samples were positive for this opportunistic mould.

Key Words: Transplant patients • Filamentous fungi • Intensive care unit • Indoor air

References

• Hoheisel G, Lange S, Winkler J, Rodloff AC, Liebert UG, Niederwieser D, Schauer J, Engelmann L: Nosocomial pneumonias in hematological malignancies in the medical intensive care unit (in German) . Pneumology 2003;57(2): 73–77 .[CrossRef]
• Soubani AO, Khanchandani G, Ahmed HP: Clinical significance of lower respiratory tract Aspergillus culture in elderly hospitalized patients . Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2004;23: 491–494 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Uffredi ML, Mangiapan G, Cadranel J, Kac G: Significance of Aspergillus fumigatus isolation from respiratory specimens of nongranulocytopenic patients . Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2003;22: 457–462 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Vandewoude KH, Blot SI, Benoit D, Colardyn F, Vogelaers D: Invasive aspergillosis in critically ill patients: attributable mortality and excesses in length of ICU stay and ventilator dependence . J Hosp Infect 2004;56(4): 269–276 .[CrossRef][Web of Science][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Buchta V, Vackova M, Jebavy L: The occurrence of microscopic fungi in air samples at the Department of Hematological Intensive Care of the Teaching Hospital in Hradec Kralove (in Czech) . Clin Microbiol Inf 1998;4(5): 154–158 .
• Drevova J, Hanulakova D, Kolarova M, Racil Z, Mayer J: Monitoring the occurrence of fungi in the air at the Department of Internal Hematooncology, Teaching Hospital Brno-Bohunice, Czech Republic (in Czech) . Clin Microbiol Inf Lek 2004;10(2): 88–95 .
• Klanova K, Hollerova J: Hospital indoor environment: Screening for micro-organisms and particulate matter . Indoor Built Environ 2003;12(1–2): 61–67 .
• Matouskova I, Benesova O, Janout V: Indoor air in operating theaters (in Czech) . Remedia Klin Mikrobiol 1998;2(6): 186–190 .
• Vackova M, Buchta V, Jebavy L: Monitoring of air microflora at the Department of Hematological Intensive Care (in Czech) . Remedia Clin Microbiol 1998;2(5): 152–154 .
• Bouza E, Pelaez T, Perez-Molina J, Marin M, Alcala L, Padilla B, Munoz P, Adan P, Bove B, Bueno MJ: Demolition of a hospital buildingby controlled explosion: the impact on filamentous fungal load in internal and external air . J Hosp Infect 2002;52(4): 234–242 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Haber J, Jesenska Z, Krcmery V, Masova I: System mycoses and their treatment (in Czech). Prague, Galen, 1995.
• Vackova M, Jebavy L, Splino M: Measurement of microbial air contamination with Biotest RCS Plus air sampler (in Czech) . Military Med J 1997;66(1): 13–15 .
• Menotti J, Waller J, Meunier O, Letscher-Bru V, Herbrecht R, Candolfi E: Epidemiological study of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a hematology unit by molecular typing of environmental and patient isolates of Aspergillus fumigatus . J Hosp Infect 2005; 60(1): 61–68 .[CrossRef][Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]
• Panagopoulou P, Filioti J, Petrikkos G, Giakouppi P, Anatoliotaki M, Farmaki E, Kanta A: Environmental surveillance of filamentous fungi in three tertiary care hospitals in Greece . J Hosp Infect 2002;52(3): 185–191 .[Medline] [Order article via Infotrieve]

Indoor and Built Environment, Vol. 15, No. 1, 115-118 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/1420326X06062519


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Vackova, M. Articles by Chlibeka, R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?