Microbiological Air Quality in an Optical Clinic

Abstract

Introduction: Air as a fluid is present in different spaces. It is likely to contain different pollutants, including pathogenic microorganisms, which, due to environmental factors, are dispersed in the hospital environment, where they are responsible for causing diseases in vulnerable populations. In addition to being considered a risk to health, nosocomial diseases generate very high treatment costs, ranging from 13 to 15 million pesos per illness during treatment. Objective: To determine the microbiological quality of the air in bathrooms, corridors, reception and storage of one optical clinic in Colombia. Methods: An initial visit to the clinic was carried out for a microbiological sampling of air with the MASS 100 equipment, based on a sampling route designed according to the ISO 14644 technical standard, in addition to the relative humidity and velocity percen¬tage measurements of the wind for two weeks. Bacterial characterization was verified using a Vitek automated system. Results: It was identified that 64% of the sampling sections are above the limit established by the ISO 14644 standard of colony forming units (CFU) for clean areas. This study identified 14 bacterial genera, such as Staphylococcus (26.3%), Pantoea (10.5%), and Sphingomonas (5.3%). Conclusions: Although there is a high number of CFU in the clinic’s air in the present study, most of these genera are saprophytic and opportunistic bacterial agents.