ABSTRACT
Microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, are among air-transmitted infectious agents at hospitals, which in addition to patients, can afflict hospital employees and visitors, and may result in economic burden and impact on human health. Although application of physical and chemical methods for control of microbial growth is not a new subject, but the use of nanotechnology and especially nanosilver painting is a new method applied in this area. This study was aimed to assess antibacterial and antifungal effects of nano-silver painting. Three rooms were selected in an infectious diseases unit of a university-based tertiary referral hospital affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. One of the rooms was painted with ordinary paint having no nano-particle [as control room] and the other two rooms were painted with two different 2% nanosilver paints [one locally produced and other provided from abroad] provided from two different companies [as case rooms]. Air sampling was carried out using a portable air pump [Quick Take 30 with constant rate between 10 and 30 L/min from 1 to 999 minutes] at pre-planned schedule. Each sampling was done in two minutes with the rate of 28.3 L/min. Samples were transferred on Blood agar [for total bacterial growth], EMB agar [for Gram negative bacterial growth] and Sabouraud>s Dextrose agar [for fungi detection] medias to study the culture results and Colony Forming Unit [CFU] count. Results, tested by ANOVAs and Kruskal-Wallis methods, indicated that there was no statistically significant reduction in the bacterial and fungal bio- burden between the control and case rooms and also between two types of paints by active sampling method. Moreover, there was no selective statistically significant change in bacterial and fungal species CFUs collected from the painted rooms by the above mentioned method. Study also revealed that there is no time trend change in bacterial bio- burden of the under study case and control rooms except for the first time zone [one month] of study duration
ABSTRACT
Microorganisms including Fungi, are among air-transmitted infectious agents at hospitals and patient care settings, which in addition to patients, can afflict Health Care Workers [HCWs] and visitors, and may results in extravagant economic burden and impact on human health. Use of nanotechnology and especially nanosilver particles is one of the methods which are used in infection control. This article is the result of a research project investigating nanosilver painting effect on bioburden of indoor hospital air. The study was aimed to assess antifungal effects of nanosilver painting. Three rooms were selected at the infectious diseases ward of Imam Khomeini hospital complex. Two of the rooms were painted with two brands of nanosilver paints provided from two separate companies [as cases], and the third room with non-nanosilver paint brand [as control]. Air sampling was carried out using a portable air pump [Quick Take 30] at pre-planned schedule Each Sampling was done in two minutes with the rate of 28.3 Liter per minute. Samples were transferred on Sabourauds Dextrose Agar culture, to count the colonies of fungal based on Colony Forming Unite [CFU/m[3]]. Results were analyzed by ANOVA method. Active sampling method was not able to show statistically significant reduction in the total fungal bioburden between the control and case rooms. In evaluating the time trend of the nanosilver paints effect, sampling measures revealed that nanosilver paints had statistically significant effect in fungal bioburden reduction in the first third [i.e. first month] of the study period