Microbiological Assessment of Indoor Air of Takalar County Hospital Wards in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Poor indoor air quality may lead to hospital-acquired infection. The microbiological parameter is one of the main standards of indoor air quality. The study objective was to investigate microbiological assessment of indoor air of different wards of Takalar County Hospital, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Four wards were used for sample collection and these included third, second, first and VIP class ward. Room air temperature, humidity, lighting, and the number of visitors were also observed. Passive air sampling technique using open Petri dishes containing different culture media was employed. Blood agar plate was used for the bacteria, while Sabouraud dextrose agar plates were used for the fungi. Samplings were done twice daily, one in the morning and other in the afternoon. Isolates were identified according to standard methods. Results show that there was second class ward recorded the highest bacterial growth (1,413 cfu/m3 in the afternoon). The bacteria isolates were Bacillus sp, Enterobacter sp, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Staphylococcus aureus was the predominantly isolated bacterium. For the conclusion, from the reduction noticed in the morning samples, stringent measures such as proper disinfection and regular cleaning, restriction of patient relatives’ movement in and out the wards need to be enforced so as to improve the quality of indoor air of hospital wards.