title: Real-time measurements of airborne biologic particles using fluorescent particle counter to evaluate microbial contamination: results of a comparative study in an operating theater.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Airborne bacterial contamination poses a risk for surgical site infection, and routine surveillance of airborne bacteria is important. Traditional methods for detecting airborne bacteria are time consuming and strenuous. Measurement of biologic particle concentrations using a fluorescent particle counter is a novel method for evaluating air quality. The current study was to determine whether the number of biologic particles detected by the fluorescent particle counter can be used to indicate airborne bacterial counts in operating rooms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed in an operating theater at a university hospital in Hefei, China. The number of airborne biologic particles every minute was quantified using a fluorescent particle counter. Microbiologic air sampling was performed every 30 minutes using an Andersen air sampler (Pusong Electronic Instruments, Changzhou, China). Correlations between the 2 different methods were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant correlation was observed between biologic particle and bacterial counts (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.76), and the counting results from 2 methods both increased substantially between operations, corresponding with human movements in the operating room.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fluorescent particle counters show potential as important tools for monitoring bacterial contamination in operating theatres.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Chunyang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China. Electronic address: xiaolingma@126.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Meiling
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Haiyang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Xuejun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Shaoqing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Nosocomial Infection, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Hengmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Nosocomial Infection, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: Weijun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008828:Microbiological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D009873:Operating Rooms
keywords: Anderson air sampler; Bacterial count; Biologic particle number; Fluorescent particle counter; Monitoring airborne bacteria