title: Monitoring of Microscopic Filamentous Fungi in Indoor Air of Transplant Unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to control the microbial contamination of indoor air monitored monthly at the Transplant Unit of the University Hospital Olomouc from August 2010 to July 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  The unit is equipped with a three-stage air filtration system with HEPA filters. The MAS-100 air sampler (Merck, GER) was used. Twenty locations were singled out for the purposes of collecting a total of 720 samplings of the indoor air. Swabs of the HVAC diffusers at the sampling locations were always carried out after the sampling of the indoor air.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 480 samples of the indoor air were taken for Sabouraud chloramphenicol agar. In 11 cases (2.29%) the cultivation verified the presence of microscopic filamentous fungi. Only two cases involved the sanitary facilities of a patient isolation box; the other positive findings were from the facilities. The most frequent established genus was Aspergillus spp. (4x), followed by Trichoderma spp. (2x) and Penicillium spp. (2x), Paecilomyces spp., Eurotium spp., and Chrysonilia spp. (1x each). In 2 cases the cultivation established sterile aerial mycelium, unfortunately no further identification was possible. A total of 726 swabs of HVAC diffusers were collected (2 positive-0.28%). The study results demonstrated the efficacy of the HVAC equipment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the continuing increase in the number of severely immunocompromised patients, hospitals are faced with the growing problem of invasive aspergillosis and other opportunistic infections. Preventive monitoring of microbial air contaminants is of major importance for the control of invasive aspergillosis.
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Ondřej
authors: O
authors: Holý
authors: Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Ivanka
authors: I
authors: Matoušková
authors: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: Alena
authors: A
authors: Kubátová
authors: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Petr
authors: P
authors: Hamal
authors: Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Lucie
authors: L
authors: Svobodová
authors: Department of Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Eva
authors: E
authors: Jurásková
authors: Department of Haemato-Oncology, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Luděk
authors: L
authors: Raida
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005658:Fungi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006757:Hospital Units; D006785:Hospitals, University; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D014180:Transplantation
keywords: cleanrooms; haemato-oncologic patients; hospital environment; risk of fungal infections