Determination of In-door Air Quality by Estimating Microbiological Load from the Ambient Air among Basic Health Units in the City of Januaria, Brazil - A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Aims: Poor air quality can compromise the health and recovery of patients and even compromise the quality of life and productivity of health professionals, affecting the speed of recovery of patients and allowing the occurrence of nosocomial infections. The present work evaluated the microbiological quality of ambient air in Basic Health Units (BHU), determining the degree of microbiological safety for the population served. Study Design:  This study was conducted with triplicate evaluation of samples of ambient air. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the city of Januária, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, between March 2016 and July 2016. Methodology: Environmental air samples were collected in five BHU in the urban area of the city, evaluating the contamination by aerophilic mesophilic microorganisms, enterobacteria, molds and yeasts, using the simple sedimentation technique in a Petri dish. Results: It was verified the presence of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and molds and yeasts in amounts higher than the recommendation used as a parameter for this study, indicating that the hygienic-sanitary conditions in the evaluated BHU are not adequate. Conclusion: The presence of Enterobacteriaceae in some evaluated sites suggests the possibility of the presence of pathogenic microorganisms, which may pose risks to the health of the population.