BACTERIAL BIOAEROSOLS IN THE OPERATING ROOMS: A CASE STUDY IN TEHRAN SHARIATI HOSPITAL

Introduction: Maintenance of adequate hospital indoor air quality (HIAQ) in operating rooms (ORs) is critical to the Surgical Site Infection (SSI) in hospitalized patients. This study assessed the concentration of bacterial bioaerosols in various ORs in a hospital. Materials and methods: The concentration of bacterial bioaerosols was measured in the 8 ORs and 2 nurse stations. Active sampling method was used to monitor bacterial bioaerosols. Results: The mean concentrations of the total bacteria were 211-386 and 208-443 CFU/ m3 in the first and second floor, respectively. Gram-positive bacteria (e.g., Micrococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp. and streptococcus spp.) were frequently observed in the assessed ORs and nurse stations. Conclusions: Bacterial bioaerosol monitoring is a useful tool for evaluation of the bio-contamination of ORs in order to improve indoor air quality of them.