SAMPLING OF SPORES OF ASPERGILLUS SPP. IN AIR AT DEPARTMENT OF HEMATOLOGY IN LJUBLJANA
Abstract
Background. Invasive aspergillosis is the most f requent and the most greatly feared infectious complication in neutropenic hematological patients. In order to prevent exogeneous aspergillus infection in such patients, their environment should be as free as possible from aspergillus spores, i.e. considerably below 1,0 CFU/m3.
Methods. With the air sampling at different points of Haematology Department in the Ljubljana Clinical Center we wished to compare concentration of spores of Aspergillus spp. and to define an efficacy of hygienic-sanitary measures at those points.
Results. Air sampling revealed that there is no essential difference in concentration of spores of Aspergillus spp. between external and internal air and also among different spaces at Haematology Department. The concentration of spores of Aspergillus spp. varied between 0.0 and 19.2 CFU/m3.
Conclusions. Concentrations of spores of Aspergillus spp. in different units of Haematology Department are extremely high and unacceptable. This is probably the consequence of the different external and internal environment factors. However, we may conclude that the most influential factor is unfiltered air.
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