Qualitative and quantitative analysis of microbial aerosols in selected areas within the College of Dentistry, King Saud University.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the bacterial aerosols before, during, and after clinical work sessions in different areas within a multichair dental clinic, an isolation clinic, the sterilization center, and the prosthetic laboratory in the College of Dentistry, King Saud University. In addition, the contributions of aerosols generated by different types of dental procedures were investigated.


METHODS
Air sampling using blood and heart infusion agar plates at 4 selected areas was performed 3 times per day over a 2-week period before, during, and after clinical sessions.


RESULTS
The concentration of total bacterial aerosols was 5 times higher in the multichair clinic, 3.6 times higher in the prosthetic laboratory, and 2 times higher in the sterilization center and isolation clinic during working sessions as compared to before the working sessions. At the end of the working day, aerosols decreased 50% to 70% in all areas. Staphylococcus epidermidis had the highest prevalence (37.1%) of colony composition of bacteria examined.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that aerosols increase during and after work sessions and therefore increase the chance for infectious agent transmission. Preventive measures should be instituted to reduce or disrupt aerosols as a transmission route in the multichair dental clinic, sterilization center, prosthetic laboratory, and isolation clinic.
Al Maghlouth
Adnan
A
College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Al Yousef
Yousef
Y
Al-Bagieh
Nasir Hamad
NH
D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003353:Corynebacterium diphtheriae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008837:Micrococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012575:Schools, Dental; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D000336:Aerosols; D052638:Particulate Matter