Qualidade do ar e controle microbiológico em hospital na Paraíba

Abstract

An elevated quantity of pathogenic microorganisms in refrigerated environments can be an indicator of poor air quality, putting patients' health in hospitals at risk. The sanitation of the refrigeration systems must be carried out efficiently and with efficient products, capable of maintaining reduced levels of hospital infection. In this work, we aim to analyze the fungal density of the internal environments of a private hospital, located in João Pessoa-PB. The effectiveness of the disinfectant used to clean air conditioning systems in these environments was also verified. In an in vitro experiment with Thilex® disinfectant against common microorganisms in the hospital environment, antimicrobial activity, concentration and time of action were evaluated. For the analysis of the air in refrigerated places in the hospital, an active bio-aerosol impactor of the Andersen type was used, to quantify and characterize possible pathogens. The antimicrobial test indicated that Thilex® was effective against Klebsiella sp., Escherichia coli and Candida albicans, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp. and Aspergillus sp. presented resistance at the concentration of 2%, being controlled to 20% of the product in distilled water and exposure time above 1 minute. The hospital's air samples indicated that 12 of the 23 rooms had a fungal density above the acceptable limit according to the current national standard, with a higher prevalence in obstetrics rooms. The most common genera were Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Monilia sp. These results indicate urgency in the development of more effective public policies in reducing the risk to patients exposed to low air quality in hospitals.