MONITORING OF PARTICLE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION AND FUNGAL ISOLATIONS DURING HOSPITAL BUILDING-WORK ACTIVITIES IN A HEMATOLOGY WARD.

Abstract

Building-work activities could cause dust contamination and dissemination of fungal spores. Significant relationship was found between building-work activities and the incidence of invasive aspergillosis, in highly immunocompromised patients. Renovation-works activities were carried out by four building sites of the hematology ward in a Teaching Hospital without the interruption of clinical activities. These sites were monitored by environmental sampling to determine the particles and fungi count. Clinical surveillance were made using galactomannan antigen test as a proxy for invasive aspergillosis diagnosis. The galactomannan antigen test showed no significant difference between presence (3,85%) or absence (5,76%) of renovation work activities (p=0,497). The particle counts showed higher values of small and big-diameter particles before the renovation works if compared to the end of the activities. It was probably due to the containment measures implemented during and immediately after the final phases of the building site. The Fungi counts showed no particular differences between the phase before and after of the renovation activities. Our finding show that is possible to perform renovation work, during clinical activities, by increasing the clinical and the environmental surveillance.

Keywords

• renovation activities, dust contamination, invasive aspergillosis, hematology ward, protective measures