Indoor air studies of fungi contamination at the Neonatal Department and Intensive Care Unit an Palliative Care in Kavala Hospital in Greece.

PURPOSE: The assessment of the indoor air and walls contamination of fungi at the Kavala Hospital in Greece was made.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was carried out at the Neonatal Department and Intensive Care Unit and Palliative Care in Kavala Hospital (Greece). Materials for the tests were: the air samples (in front of the building and the selected rooms) and swabs from the walls. The air pollution was determined using SAS SUPER 100 (Pbi International). The microbial flora from walls was assessed using the Count-Tact applicator and the plate Count-Tact (BioMerieux). Fungi were identified using standard microbial procedures. Classification of isolated fungi was made with an accordance to the current procedures. Humidity and temperature were evaluated by a termohigrometr.

RESULTS: The following fungal pathogens isolated from air were Candida albicans, non-Candida albicans, Penicillium species Acremonium, Rhodotorula species, and Aspergillus species. Candida albicans and Penicillium species were dominated fungi in the air of Neonatal Department and Intensive Care Unit. Mean number of fungi colonies isolated from air in the Neonatal Department was significantly (p < 0.001) higher compared to Intensive Care Unit. No significant correlations between CFU of fungi in air and temperature in both Departments were noted.

CONCLUSIONS: The main fungal pathogen isolated from the air samples was Candida albicans. No significant differences between number of fungal colonies temperature and humidity of air were found. Further investigations on isolation of the fungal pathogenes from the air samples of operating rooms are needed.